A career that has yielded two Olympic victories in the 10,000 meters, world records at both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, numerous world championship gold medals, and the third fastest marathon ever makes Haile Gebreselassie one of, if not the greatest, distance runner of all time. While he is a superstar on the level of American professional football and basketball players in his native Ethiopia, many American runners are unfamiliar with his story. Jim Denison's biography of Gebreselassie The Greatest: The Haile Gebreselassie Story (Breakaway Books, Halcottsville, New York, 2004, $14.00) provides a closer look at the life and accomplishments of this great runner. The book describes the impoverished Ethiopia in which Haile was raised along with his nine siblings. His childhood involved 12 hour workdays on his family farm as well as a six mile run to and from school every day. His mother died when he was only seven years old, and the book describes how it is a testament to Gebreselassie's determination to run that he was able to escape the farm and pursue a career in running since his father was extremely opposed his running. While he does ultimately leave home, he still feels a great commitment to his family and Ethiopian culture. This cultural and national pride plays an important part in his motivation for running, and he describes his success as resulting from his pride in the tradition of Ethiopian running as well as belief in himself. As he says at one point in an attempt to answer why so many Ethiopian runners have been successful, "Most important of all...is self-belief, confidence, and inspiration. New stadiums, modern facilities, they are all good but they will never be a substitute for tradition and expectation. When one runs with the past, one never runs alone."

What makes the book so interesting is that it provides a more in-depth look at the events leading up to some of Gebreselassie's biggest races. Denison points out that in Olympic competition, the elite athletes often "make it look easy" while winning, but Gebreselassie's Olympic victories become even more amazing when one reads about the obstacles that he must overcome just to compete. In his first Olympic race in Atlanta 1996, Haile must overcome a severe foot infection that prevents him from running at all in the week leading up to the race. Then, at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, he overcomes an Achilles injury that prevents him from training properly for entire months leading up to the race. Denison describes how Haile is to the point of telling the Ethiopian Olympic committee that he cannot run the race, but is somehow able to come back and win it in an outstanding battle with Kenyan Paul Tergat. As Denison points out, "To win an Olympic 10,000-meter one must first reach the starting line unscathed." He points out how the nature of the race and its distance make it difficult to perform well if not at 100%, but Gebreselassie's ability to race the world's best even when not entirely fit shows what a great athlete he is.

The book also provides insight into Gebreselassie's personality. In contrast to the often self-centered attitude of many elite athletes, Gebreselassie feels a great commitment to his Ethiopian team and possesses a great amount of humility. His 2004 Olympic 10,000 was hampered severely by an Achilles injury and he was able to finish only 5th. His Ethiopian teammate Kenenisa Bekele, who had broken both of his world records earlier in the year, won the race while his other teammate, Sileshi Sihine, finished second. Rather than being bitter about the loss, he says "Today it didn't happen for me. But it did happen for Ethiopia. Gold and silver is fantastic and I couldn't be happier if I won myself." He says, "You cannot control the world forever. Actually, I am so glad to have runners like Kenenisa at the moment. Ethiopia will hopefully not have too many problems at the world championships with talents like him."

Denison describes how Gebreselassie has set the example for rising Ethiopian stars not just through his great running but also through his understanding of the business side of the sport. Gebreselassie has paved the way for other Ethiopian runners to gain entry into major European meets. He is very much a businessman and has worked hard so that other Ethiopian and African athletes can gain some of the same sponsorship opportunities as do American and European stars. He has invested the majority of his prize money in Ethiopian businesses showing his commitment to the development of his country. It is described how his fame and business knowledge will most likely lead to a career in Ethiopian politics following his retirement from distance running.

Many American runners often wonder why distance runners from Africa are so dominant at the world level. While this book does not set out specifically to answer that question, in describing the life of an African runner and how it is different from that of his American counterparts it provides some insight into the African dominance of the sport. The book does a nice job highlighting Gebreselassie's career and races while also providing a personal side to his story. . . . .

Editor note: Elaine Binkley is junior at Denison University where she has earned NCAA Division III All American honors twice in cross-country. Last spring, she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America(R) Women's Track & Field/Cross Country first team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Elaine also earned All State honors in Cross Country and Track at Bishop Watterson High School.

The RUNOHIO's Book Review - A Closer Look at - explores various running books and is a regular column in RUNOHIO. - To have your book considered for reviewed, please send a copy to: Matt McGowan, c/o RUNOHIO, 330 Spellman Street, Granville, OH 43023

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