First Two World Records on CONICA Track in 2007 

Haile Gebrselassie set a new world record in the One Hour Run (21285 metres) at the 46th Golden Spike Grand Prix Meeting in Ostrava/Czech Republic yesterday evening.

The athletic meeting in Ostrava is part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007 and is held on our CONIPUR SW track. CONIPUR SW is one of CONICA’s four IAAF certified track systems.

The 34-year-old Ethiopian broke the previous best, 21101m, set by Arturo Barrios, Mexico, in French La Fléche in March 1991. Furthermore, Gebreselassie covered 50 laps (20000m) in 56:25.98, another world best, well within the previous 56:55.6 also set by Barrios in 1991. These were his 23rd and 24th world records!  

Haile Gebrselassie is considered by many to be one of the best distance runners of all time.

He gained international recognition in 1992 when he won the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre races at the World Junior Championships. In 1994 he set his first world record by running a 12:56.96 in the 5,000-metres, breaking Said Aouita's record by two seconds.

The 1.65 m Ethiopian was named "athlete of the year 1998" by the International Athletic Foundation and won four consecutive world championships (1993-1999). He became Olympic Champion by winning the 10,000 m gold medal in Atlanta in 1996 and in Sydney in 2000. Since 2004, he has won many marathons (e.g. Amsterdam 2005, Berlin 2006 and Fukuoka 2006).