Haile Gebrselassie

Haile Gebrselassie

Haile in 2012
Personal information
Born	(1973-04-18) 18 April 1973 (age 51) Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopian Empire
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight	54 kg (119 lb)[1]
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics/Track, Long-distance running
Event(s)	10,000 metres, 5000 metres, 3000 metres, 1500 metres, Half marathon, Marathon
Club	Adidas
Retired	May 2015
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	1996 Atlanta 10,000 m,  Gold 2000 Sydney 10,000 m,  Gold 2004 Athens 10,000 m, 5th 2008 Beijing 10,000 m, 6th
World finals	1993 Stuttgart 5000 m,  Silver 10,000 m,  Gold 1995 Gothenburg 10,000 m,  Gold 1997 Athens 10,000 m,  Gold 1999 Seville 10,000 m,  Gold 2001 Edmonton 10,000 m,  Bronze 2003 Paris 10,000 m,  Silver
Personal bests	1500 m: 3:33.73 (Stuttgart 1999) Mile: 3:52.39 (Gateshead 1999) 3000 m: 7:25.09 (Brussels 1998) 2 miles: 8:01.08 NBP (Hengelo 1997) 5000 m: 12:39.36 (Helsinki 1998) 10,000 m: 26:22.75 (Hengelo 1998) Indoors 800 m: 1:49.35i (Dortmund 1997) 1500 m: 3:31.76i (Stuttgart 1998) 2000 m: 4:52.86i (Birmingham 1998) 3000 m: 7:26.15i (Karlsruhe 1998) 2 miles: 8:04.69i (Birmingham 2003) 5000 m: 12:50.38i (Birmingham 1999) Road 10 km: 27:02 (Doha 2002) 10 miles: 44:24 (Tilburg 2005) Half marathon: 58:55 (Tempe 2006) Marathon: 2:03:59 (Berlin 2008)
Medal record Representing  Ethiopia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 4 2 1 World Indoor Championships 4 0 0 African Championships 0 1 1 World Cross Country Championships 0 0 1 Total 10 3 3 Olympic Games 2000 Sydney 10,000 m 1996 Atlanta 10,000 m World Championships 1999 Seville 10,000 m 1997 Athens 10,000 m 1995 Gothenburg 10,000 m 1993 Stuttgart 10,000 m 2003 Paris 10,000 m 1993 Stuttgart 5000  m 2001 Edmonton 10,000 m World Indoor Championships 2003 Birmingham 3000 m 1999 Maebashi 1500 m 1999 Maebashi 3000 m 1997 Paris 3000 m African Championships 1993 Durban 5000 m 1993 Durban 10,000 m World Cross Country Championships 1992 Boston Junior race 1994 Budapest Senior race 1994 Budapest Senior team World Half Marathon Championships 2001 Bristol Individual 2001 Bristol Team World Junior Championships 1992 Seoul 5000 m 1992 Seoul 10,000 m
President of Ethiopian Athletic Federation
In office 6 November 2016 – 14 November 2018
Preceded by	Sileshi Sihine
Succeeded by	Derartu Tulu

Haile Gebrselassie (Amharic: ኀይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, romanized: Haylē Gebre Silassē; born 18 April 1973) is an Ethiopian former long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman.^[2][3] He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles over the 10,000 metres. Haile triumphed in the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon. He also earned four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion.

Haile had major competition wins at distances between 1,500 metres and the marathon, moving from outdoor, indoor and cross country running to road running in the latter part of his career. He broke 61 Ethiopian national records, ranging from 800 metres to the marathon, set 27 world records, and is regarded as one of the greatest long distance runners in history.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} He won the 2008 Berlin Marathon with a world record time of 2:03:59, breaking his own world record by 27 seconds. The record stood for three years. Haile's 10,000 m Masters age group world record remains unchallenged since 2008. Due to his various achievements on track & road running events, many called him as the "Emperor of the Distance Running".

Haile was cited as one of the top 100 most influential Africans by New African in 2011.^[9] During the Hachalu Hundessa riots in 2020, Oromo mobs targeted the businesses and properties of non-Oromos. Haile's hotels and resort were burned and 400 employees lost their jobs.^[10][11] In 2021, in the midst of the Tigray War, he pledged to join the fighting against the Tigray People's Liberation Front.^[12][13]