8 Nov 2010

Tearful Gebrselassie announces retirement

12:47 pm on 8 November 2010

Ethiopia's world marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie has tearfully announced his retirement after dropping out of his first New York City marathon.

Gebrselassie pulled out after the halfway mark as he and the lead men's pack were running downl from the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan.

The 37-year-old twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion grabbed at his right knee, bent over and grimaced in pain.

He'd been a doubtful starter but had fluid drained from the knee and received cortisone.

Later Gebrselassie, who set 27 world records, said it was time to give younger runners a chance.

After moving from the track Gebrselassie clocked two hours four minutes 26 seconds to break Kenyan Paul Tergat's world marathon record in Berlin in 2007.

And back in Bertlin a year later he became the first man to run under two hours four minutes, clocking 2:03:59.