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The Greatest - A new book about Haile Gebrselassie - the smiling front-runner
“Be in no doubt Haile is the greatest distance runner the world has ever seen.”
2004-10-31
Two Olympic 10,000m golds; eight world championships indoors and outdoors; seventeen world records over four different distances; a fifty-four race winning streak — Haile Gebrselassie utterly dominated a decade of distance running. The Greatest is his authorized biography, written by Jim Denison, who worked on it with Haile for over two years, visited him in Ethiopia, and traveled with him on the European track circuit.
Haile’s life story is fascinating, detailing his early years of
hard poverty in war-torn Ethiopia, his relentless training, his rise to godlike
status in the track world, and the good works he has done for his country with
his fame and fortune. Most of all it is a glimpse of the kind, fascinating man
behind all the records and medals.
Watch him closely, because in 2005 he will attempt to break the
world records in both the half-marathon and the marathon!
“Haile Gebrselassie is the best distance runner I have seen in the
last quarter-century, the most electrifying personality, and somewhat of an
enigma, given his Ethiopian roots. With this wonderful book, Jim Denison allows
the whole world to learn more about Haile The Great, a distance-running star
whose brilliance won’t soon be forgotten.”
— Amby Burfoot, executive editor, Runner’s World, and 1968 Boston
Marathon winner
“Be in no doubt Haile is the greatest distance runner the world has
ever seen.”
—Dave Bedford, former 10,000m world record holder, and race director for
the London Marathon
“Haile is an elegant champion and a fine example of
sportsmanship.”
—Lasse Viren, Olympic double-gold medalist
“In my view Haile is the greatest distance runner of all time and a
fantastic testimony to his legacy is that the man who is going to challenge for
that title ‘the greatest’ has been nurtured by Haile and his coach,
Dr. Wolde-Meskel Kostre. Haile has taken care of the present and he is passing
on the baton to the future, to one of his pupils, Kenenisa Bekele.”
—Brendan Foster, MBE, 1976 Olympic bronze medalist 10,000m, former world
record holder 3000m, and presently Track and Field Commentator for the BBC
“Haile’s accomplishment is a class act on and off the track. He
is not only admired for his running, but his universal smile (whether he wins
or finishes second).”
—Mebrahtom “Meb” Kheflezighi, two-time Olympian and American
record holder for 10,000m
“Haile Gebrselassie has won many great victories as an African
athlete. He is a great ambassador for his people, and through his numerous
humanitarian and charitable works a vitally important citizen for the future
growth and development of Africa.”
—Nelson Mandela
The Greatest:
The Haile Gebrselassie Story.
288 pages, paperback, $14.
ISBN: 1-891369-48-2. Library of Congress Control Number: 2004106531 Distributed to the trade by CONSORTIUM; 1045 Westgate Drive; St. Paul, MN 55114. Publication date: October 15, 2004
Contact:
Garth@breakawaybooks.com / (607) 326-4805 / (800) 548-4348 / fax (212)
898-0408
Or contact Jim Denison directly:
jim.denison@thecoach-online.co.uk / or phone (England)+44 (0)7814 027 404
Other great runners - running literatur:
http://www.real-berlin-marathon.com/news/show/002251
http://www.real-berlin-marathon.com/news/show/001969
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