From: McManus, Mike (he was in attendance at the race in Paris. He is manager of the running division for Adidas USA. Men's 10,000 meters There are great runners, and then, there are iconic runners. Haile Gebreslassie of Ethiopia is an iconic runner. I have seen each of his world championship 10k runs since 1995, and am proud to say that this is was the most exciting and competitive race that I have ever seen. It was the first time I have seen someone go under 13 minutes for 5k, and that was in the second half! Meb Keflezighi of the U.S. led the 10k in 2.52.01, and was still in the lead at 2000 meters, which he hit in 5:36.76 ( a second 1k in 2.44.75) with Dieter Bauman of Germany urging him on. The pack was Haile Gebreselassie, Bekele Kenenisa and Sihine Sileshi of Ethiopia, John Cheriout Korir,Salim Kipsang and Wilbelforce Talel of Kenya with Ahmad Hassan of Qatar and Kamiel Maase of the Netherlands in attendance. In the second pack was Karl Keska of GBR, David Galvan of Mexico and John Yuda of Tanzania, followed by Alan Culpepper of the U.S. Salim Kipsand took the lead at 3k, with a 2.47.96 romp, hitting the 3k in 8.24.72, and that was the last time a non-Ethiopian led this race, and actually, was a factor in this race. Bekele lead for the next kilometer, running it in 2.46.05 and hitting the 4k mark in 11.10.77. It was then that Haile Gebresalassie took to the fore and the race was on. Mr. G took the field through the fastest 1k of the race, a 2.41.56, to hit the 5k in 13.52.33 and you knew the race was on. Gebresalassie ran the kilometer from five to six in 2.34.52 and it was obvious, that the runners from Kenya, and Qatar were distressed, and this was becoming a Ethiopia only show. To watch Gebresalassie up close is to see distance perfection, and he gives his team no quarter-Bekele and Sileshi worked hard, but G was making a huge run to break his competitors. Mr. G hit 6k in 16.26.85 and then ran a 2.38.29 between six and seven and the Kenyans went out the back door, and the crowd literally gasped...Gebresalssie is very efficient, but to see Kenenisa Bekele running next to him, it is the heroic and the inevitable. I tend to support the heroic, but Bekele is at the top of his form, and while Mr. G is there too, he has to make Bekele hurt terribly to break him. And this is what Haile Gebreselassie did, first hitting 8k in 21.42.58, ( a kilo in 2.37.44), then hitting 9k in 24.20.56 ( a kilo in 2.37.98) and Sihine Sileshi started to break. By 9k, Gebresalassie was still in front, him arm carriage perfect, his legs lifting and churning up the track and Kenenisa Bekele there, waiting to pounce. Haile Gebressalassie, who won World Champ 10ks in 95,97,99 and Olympics in 96 and 00, hit the 9600m mark in 25.54-and the crowd was loud-Bekele was at his shoulder, and that is where he stayed, until 200m to go and he went by, on the outside. Mr. G did not stop, Bekele just kept moving, completing the last lap in 55, to set a new World Championship record of 26.49.57. Haile was rewarded with a seasonal best of 26.50.77 and the silver and Sileshi Sihine had to take solace with the bronze and a mediocre time of 27.01.44 ( it was not his seasonal best-oh my God!). Ethiopia showed that they are the kings of the 10k. In analyzing the race, it should be noted that the last 5k was run in 12.58! The U.S.'s Alan Culpepper was 14th in 28.14.92, Meb Keflezegi was 16th in 28.35.43 and Daniel Browne was 19th in 29.01.60. Here is what the great ones said: Kenenisa Bekele said " I am Haile's successor, and it is a wonderful thing, and my victory is also for him. I am very thankful for the great audience here today." Haile Gebrselassie, " The most important thing tonight was to have three Ethiopians on the podium. We had team tactics and obviously they worked. I thought I had a good sprint left in me for the end, but Kenenisa proved to be stronger."