Pat Butcher for the IAAF

Dubai – Haile Gebrselassie was predictably low-key just two days before his assault on his own World record in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Friday. And that, says his manager, Jos Hermens, “Is a good sign. It means he’s very relaxed. A couple of weeks ago, he was a bit uncomfortable, he had stomach problems, but that’s all over, and things like the drinks, the scooter, the (kilometre) ‘splits’, he just says to me, ‘you decide’. That’s good”.

Gebrselassie, 34 and from Ethiopia broke the 24th World record of his career just over three months ago with 2:04:26 in the Berlin Marathon. That set the scene for his appearance here in Dubai in what is styled as the World Richest Marathon, with a first prize of $250,000 and a one million dollar bonus for a World record.

Although that was obviously his incentive to come to Dubai, Gebrselassie is such an open and endearing character, you believe him when he says, “the top priority is not the money, it’s the race. But the marathon is not an easy event, you cannot predict. Everything is perfect, I hope it will be more perfect for the race.”

One thing you cannot predict for once here is the weather. Suddenly it has become one of Donnie Rumsfeld’s ‘known unknowns’. As Geb himself said at the press conference on Wednesday morning, “I’ve been coming here since 1991, and it’s the first time I’ve seen rain.” And what rain! For five days, there has been chaos due to flooding. And more rain is forecast, although Friday is supposed to be fine, with conditions similar to last year, with temperatures of around 13C for the 7am start (0300gmt).

Negative split planned

After his victory in 2007, when he waited until 38km before he charged away to victory, William Todoo Rotich of Kenya said, “With good pacing, it’s possible to do under 2:05 on this course.” Well, the pacemakers, led by former World Half Marathon champion, Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania cannot be faulted. And with one or two tweaks on the out-and-back course, to avoid an underpass and widen the turning circle near the 7-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, the course, according to Race Director, Peter Connerton, “is probably the flattest in the world.”

Hermens and Haile, manager and athlete have planned accordingly. “We’ll go for an ‘negative split’ (ie second half faster than first),” says Hermens. He did 62.29 in Berlin, I’d like him to do 62.15 here, but not too fast. The most important thing is that he feels good at 30km, when the pacemakers drop out, and he has to do it himself.”

He ‘came back,’ as they say, with a 61.57 second half in Berlin, and if he can do something similar here on Friday, then Gebrselassie will be closing on the sub-2.04 of which he said he is capable immediately after Berlin.

Korir main challenger

If anyone is going to challenge him it will be Sammy Korir of Kenya. A year older than the Ethiopian, Korir was a stride away from being a World record holder himself. He was pacemaker for his colleague Paul Tergat, when the five-time World Cross Country champion set the previous World record, also in Berlin in 2003, of 2.04.55.

Korir decided to continue after his pacing stint, but looked to have conceded victory when Tergat surged away at 41km, but he came back and finished within a stride of his compatriot in 2.04.56. “Everyone is telling me I should have won that race,” says Korir. “When he (Tergat) left me at 41km, I couldn’t react quick enough, because I’d used a lot of energy pacing. But even five metres more on the course, and I would have won.”

Korir won another fast race, 2.06.38 in Rotterdam 2006, but has struggled with injury since then, only getting back to full training last August. “I’ll look at the situation, the weather, the pace on Friday, before I decide what to do,” he says, “I hope I can do under
2.06 again.”

As for Gebrselassie, he won’t have many more chances to run a fast course like this, the more so since this is his last marathon before the Olympic Games in Beijing in August, when the weather (hot, for sure) and the occasion will militate against super-fast times. But even if he takes a leaf out of his long-time rival Tergat’s book, just one second under 2.04.26 would be a million reasons enough!