Virgin London Marathon – ‘I can pace them to a world record’, says Gebrselassie

The great Ethiopian, who set 27 world records in his career, will run as a pacemaker for an elite men’s field he described yesterday as “the greatest ever seen in the history of the event”.

Gebrselassie will run to 30km at the head of a lead pack likely to include the world and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich, the world record holder Wilson Kipsang, the world’s fastest ever marathon runner Geoffrey Mutai, the reigning London Marathon and World Marathons Majors champion Tsegaye Kebede and the London course record holder Emmanuel Mutai.

Throw into the mix marathon debutant Mo Farah, Britain’s double world and Olympic champion, and you have a field, says Gebrselassie, the quality of which has never been seen before.

“There is no question this is the best field we’ve ever seen” he said. “Just look at the statistics of the runners. It is always a great field in London but this is the best year ever. Both men and women’s fields are amazing.

“I’m sure everyone is surprised that I am here as a pacemaker. Some people will think I am here to run for myself but I just didn’t want to miss a chance to run next to these athletes.

“It’s going to be very special at the London Marathon this year. It is not easy to break the world record here. It is always very fast at the beginning but at the end it is very tough because they are always watching each other.

“I know what kind of pace is needed to break a world record. I broke many records and all 27 were with pacemakers. A pacemaker can make a record or destroy a record. It’s not impossible in London at all. The course is perfect but the race only really starts after 30km.”

The last time London saw a men’s world record was in 2002 when Khalid Khannouchi ran 2 hours 5 minutes 38 seconds, while Paula Radcliffe smashed the women’s record in 2003 with 2:15:25, a time which still stands.

Every men’s record since has been set at the Berlin Marathon, including two by Gebrselassie himself, the second in 2008 when he clocked 2:03:59, the world’s first sub-2:04 marathon. The current record of 2:03:23 was set by Kipsang in the German capital last September.

Gebrselassie admitted he has only been a pacemaker once before, as a teenager in a road race in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. Now nearly 41, he will run in London partly to see how he measures up to “this new generation” as he prepares for an assault on the world masters record for over-40s at the Hamburg Marathon on 4 May.

“It will be very interesting for me,” he said. “Some of these guys are 20 years younger than me. I want to check myself, to see where I am at the age of 40.”

Gebrselassie is familiar with the London course having made his marathon debut in the British capital in 2002 when he was third. He was also ninth in 2006 but was forced to drop out in 2007 when he had problems with asthma. Despite two Olympic and five World Championship titles, Gebrselassie admitted his failure to win the London Marathon is a big gap in his extensive list of honours.

“When you win in London it is like winning the Oympics or the World Championships,” he said. “It is the biggest marathon in the world because the quality of the field is so amazing and it has such a great history. Everyone wants to win here.

“It is a pity I didn’t win in London but it didn’t work out for me here. It is one of my biggest regrets.”

Gebrselassie also had advice for Farah, Britain’s big hope of a first home nation win since 1993.

“For Mo, it is his first marathon and it has to be seen as a chance for him to learn,” said Gebrselassie. “If he can run sub-2:06 or 2:05 that would be amazing, it would be fantastic for Mo. But the most important thing is for him to learn something from running with these athletes.

“There’s no question Mo can do something very special. He’s an outstanding athlete, look what he’s done in the last three or four years. But when it comes to the marathon he needs more training and more time.

“He has very good speed, obviously, and he can still go faster on the track. He can go for a world record for sure at the 5000m or 10,000m.

“But with the marathon you have to learn about the distance. You have to study it. It takes everything from you. There will be a lot of pressure on Mo but you should let him relax and just run.

“Of course, everyone wants to see another win for Mo. To win would be so special. All athletes want to win but if he runs well in fourth or fifth it should be seen as a success.”

London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher welcomed Gebrselassie back to the London Marathon and predicted he can set up a classic race.

“A world record in the marathon is very tough. If you go too quick you blow up, if you go too slow you miss the chance. Ideally, we want two or three fighting it out at the end.

“Haile is here to set it up. He is the greatest distance runner ever and we couldn’t be more delighted to have him.

“It absolutely will be a classic marathon. We’ve got a great field and with Mo running as well we know the people will come out in support. It could be like London 2012 all over again.”

Source: Virgin London Marathon