By LYNN ZINSER
The New York Times
Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia walked through Manhattan on a sweltering afternoon, a slight man in a simple khaki outfit, drawing attention only because two burly bodyguards cleared a path for him. Gebrselassie’s trademark smile, unwavering in yesterday’s heat and commotion, erupted in laughter when two passersby wondered aloud if perhaps he was the president of an African country.
If Gebrselassie had crossed town unescorted, the man universally regarded as the greatest distance runner would have turned few heads. His star will only shine come tomorrow when he re-enters the world he dominates, running in the NYC Half-Marathon. It will be the first time the 34-year-old Gebrselassie will run in New York.
The star-studded men’s field will also include the former New York Marathon champion Hendrik Ramaala and the three-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot.
“New York is New York,” Gebrselassie said later, laughing again, ensconced in an Ethiopian restaurant, Meskerem. “I come here and I wonder when it will become quiet here. It is never quiet.”
Luring Gebrselassie into the din from his home in Ethiopia was an eight-year quest by New York Road Runners. The group’s president, Mary Wittenberg, hopes he will someday join the field of its biggest event, the New York Marathon. This year, the Half-Marathon fit into Gebrselassie’s schedule as he prepares for the Berlin Marathon in September.
“There is Haile as an athlete and Haile as a man, and he is a superstar in both regards,” Wittenberg said. “He is the best ambassador for our sport. He can take over a race and he just fills up a room.”
Gebrselassie’s storied career includes 22 world-record performances, two Olympic gold medals in the 10,000 meters and 107 major-race victories. Recently, Gebrselassie has turned his talents to longer distances, winning three of six marathons since 2005 and winning every one of his seven half-marathons. His world record in that event was surpassed earlier this year by Samuel Wanjiru, a 20-year-old from Kenya.
But Gebrselassie has little intention of resting on his résumé or giving in to a younger generation. He surprised the track world in May with a last-minute entry into a 10,000-meter race in Hengelo, the Netherlands, where he finished fifth and became the first man over 30 to break 27 minutes. He ran it in 26:52. The first time he broke 27 minutes, he was 22.
“Everybody was surprised,” Gebrselassie said. “People say, ‘You are too old.’ But I’m not old. I feel still young.”
Gebrselassie believes he could still dominate his old track distances, except the intensity of that training led to a series of injuries.
He was forced to withdraw from the London Marathon in April after 18 miles when he had an allergic reaction to the pollen in the air. He said had never had an allergy attack before.
“It’s not an easy thing,” Gebrselassie said. “In the marathon you are running against the distance. It’s 42K. You never know where the problem you will have. In the 10 and the 5,000, it’s just competing against either the time or the athletes. But the marathon, you compete against the distance itself.”
Gebrselassie has encountered no such problems in half-marathons, building an undefeated streak, and he is now the target of a strong international field in New York. The 13.1-mile race starts in Central Park, races through Times Square and ends in Battery Park.
“He is the greatest distance runner who ever lived,” said Peter Gilmore, the top American entrant. “I’ve never raced against him. It’s going to be cool.”
Gebrselassie, long accustomed to the awe he has inspired, refuses to stop finding challenges. He said he picked his races for the chance to do something special, to reward fans with a memorable performance.
Back home in Addis Ababa, Gebrselassie owns and runs a real estate developing business with his wife, Alem. Their four children, ages 9 to 2, know nothing of the hardscrabble beginning that launched their father’s career. He grew up on a farm, running the more than six miles to school each day.
“You need a hard time when you are training, especially long distance,” he said. “My kids, they live a luxury life. Between my house and school, it’s 3K and they use a car. My age, it was 10K and you walked to school.”
Across Ethiopia, a younger generation has taken up running because of Gebrselassie. Many runners he trains with, he said, are too shy to speak with him comfortably. But he loves to see them competing. It is a major reason he never moved from his country, despite his fame and the pressure that comes with it.
“When you ask them why they start running, and they say, ‘I start because of Haile Gebrselassie,’ for me it’s something special,” he said. “Now, you ask me what I feel. It’s the other way around. These athletes they start running because of me. Now I continue running because of them. When I see them run in the national championships and one of them breaks a record, I just feel so good. I am very proud.”
If he wishes anonymity, he needs only to come to Times Square on a summer afternoon.