One of the most popular distance runners in world sport, Haile Gebrselassie won three consecutive Dubai Marathons between 2008 and 2010. He spoke to The National ahead of Friday’s race, which he is appearing at as an ambassador for Adidas.
Q The course has changed a lot since you raced here. What do you make of the new course?
A Changing the course does not matter so much because everywhere in Dubai is very flat. Of course, it is just straight and turn and straight back, it is a little bit boring. It is better to change direction and that is why athletes like the Berlin course. It is a good course. Here, some parts of the course are too straight and it's the same road. It makes it hard to change gear and try to attack.
Q What would a world record mean for this race?
A It would mean a lot. This organiser wants to see faster and faster times and if the world record falls here, more people would want to race here. But to break the world record in Dubai depends. The chances are very rare. The weather is perfect here sometimes and the altitude is low, so we will see. You never know, but the quality of the field is perfect: many good runners, especially the men.
Q What are the chances of it falling in Dubai this weekend?
A In 2008 I was ready, but the world record is getting tougher and tougher to beat. Don't forget it is two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds. I don't know if anybody will be able to run that time in Dubai.
Q The past three races have been won by debutants. Is that a coincidence?
A Honestly speaking, here in Dubai, it is more for athletes who do not know about the marathon. If you look at the winners from the past three years, they are all young guys making their debuts. They don't know how to run. They don't show up all concerned, trying to calculate split times and stuff like that. They just turn up and run. That's why it happens.
Q If you had to imagine a perfect marathon, what would it be like?
A Firstly, the course has to be flat and when we say flat, not just the course but also the country. You cannot run a good marathon in altitude. It has to be close to sea level, like Berlin. The weather needs to be between 16 and 18 degrees – not above. When it gets warmer, it becomes a problem. Even the asphalt where you run, it can affect the athlete. If part of the asphalt is coming up, it makes you wary.
Q One piece of advice for any budding marathon runners?
A If you don't prepare well, it doesn't matter – you're preparing to fail.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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