Inspired by Gebrselassie, Mekonnen aims to break Ethiopian record in Frankfurt

Distance-running legend Haile Gebrselassie has encouraged Tsegaye Mekonnen to attack his own Ethiopian record at the BMW Frankfurt Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (26).

It’s also thanks to Gebrselassie that Mekonnen has chosen Frankfurt for his latest marathon outing. The 19-year-old teenage sensation clocked a stunning, though unofficial, world junior best of 2:04:32 when he won the Dubai Marathon in January on his debut at the distance.

Now he hopes to improve that mark and has set himself the target of breaking Gebrselassie’s national record of 2:03:59, which was a world record at the time when he ran it in Berlin in 2008.

While Mekonnen hopes to become the first non-Kenyan men’s champion since 2001, there is also the possibility that Germany’s oldest city marathon will have its first double Ethiopian win on Sunday, as Aberu Kebede and Meselech Melkamu are strong contenders in the women’s race.

All three Ethiopians appeared confident in Frankfurt.

Read more at: IAAF.org