haile gebrselassie wins third straight dubai marathon, next stop nyc half marathon!

last week the nyrr announced that current marathon world record holder, haile gebrselassie, would return to the united states and run the 2010 nyc half marathon in march. on his last visit to the united states gebrselassie ran the 2007 nyc half marathon and, in the process of winning it, he set the course record with a stunning 59:24 finish! today, gebrelassie won the dubai marathon, and took home $2,000,000 in prize money!

his 2:06:09 finish was well-off the world record 2:03:59 he ran at the 2008 berlin marathon. but it was gebrselassie's third consecutive win at the standard charter dubai marathon. the win was all the more impressive when we learned, after the race, that he ran it with a sore back!

with haile gebrelassie in the nyc half, it's just one more incentive to run it - or be a spectator at it :D