Haile Gebrselassie Trivia Questions

No human has run a marathon under two hours in any officially ratified race. Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-2 hour run was on a controlled course, not Gebrselassie.

He grew up in Asella, Ethiopia, in a mud hut without modern amenities. He famously ran 10 km to school each day barefoot.

Gebrselassie officially set 27 world records, ranging from the 5000m to the marathon, making him one of the most prolific record-breakers ever.

After retiring, Gebrselassie became a successful businessman, running a Hyundai dealership and a multiplex cinema in Ethiopia’s capital.

Haile Gebrselassie won two Olympic gold medals, both in the 10,000 meters (1996, 2000). He never won an Olympic gold in the marathon.

Yobes Ondieki first broke 27 minutes with 26:58.38 in Oslo on July 10, 1993. Gebrselassie later lowered the world record to 26:43.53 in 1995 but was not the first sub-27 runner.

Gebrselassie retired in 2015 due to a persistent knee injury, but it was from overuse and running, not weightlifting.

His marathon debut was the 2002 London Marathon, where he finished third. The race was won by Khalid Khannouchi in a world record time, but Gebrselassie did not win.