Double Olympic gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie won the Great Scottish Half Marathon in Glasgow yesterday on what was his his first appearance in Scotland.
The Ethiopian veteran broke clear of Kenya’s Emmanuel Bett at the 12-mile marker along the embankment to cross the finishing line at Glasgow Green in a course record of 61 minutes 9 seconds “Today was really wonderful. I am so happy,” said Gebrselassie.
“It was a perfect set-up. I didn’t expect this kind of weather.”
Former European 10,000m silver medallist Chris Thompson (Aldershot Farnham and District) was the first UK runner home in fifth, holding off Andrew Lemoncello (Fife AC) by six seconds.
Lemoncello flew in from his base in Flagstaff, Arizona, less than 24 hours earlier and grabbed a couple of hours afternoon sleep before spurning a night’s sleep in an effort to overcome the seven hours’ time difference and jet lag.
Lemoncello said: “It was great fun out there but it was tough going.
“It felt like running against the wind the whole way apart from the last two miles. The support out there was phenomenal. I hope to run in the Commonwealth Games stadium next year over 10,000m.
I’m leaning towards the 10,000m but if I can get the marathon qualification it would be good to make a decision nearer the time.”
Leeds-based Susan Partridge, 10th at the Moscow World Championship marathon this summer, excelled to win the women’s race, 17th overall, ahead of Scottish colleague Freya Ross (Edinburgh AC) with Kenya’s Pauline Wanjiku third and Scottish Commonwealth Games 1500m silver medallist Stephanie Twell fourth.