Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who set 27 world records during a career spanning the 1990s through the 2010s. Born on 18 April 1973 in Asella, he won consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 10,000 metres at Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000, and claimed four consecutive World Championship titles in the event from 1993 to 1999.
Gebrselassie turned to the marathon in the mid-2000s and won the Berlin Marathon four consecutive times from 2006 to 2009. His 2008 Berlin run produced 2:03:59, which stood as the world marathon record until 2011. He added the Dubai Marathon title in January 2010 with 2:06:09.
He retired from competitive athletics in 2015, having established a record that included 27 world records across track, road, and cross country. He later served as president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation.