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Emotional day.

The Forty First New York City Marathon on a chilly Sunday brought us warmness. The men's marathon was packed with top athletes, including Haile Gebreselassie running for the first time and a rookie Ethiopian 26-year-old Gebre Gebremariam who won many long distance running this year but was a debutant to marathon which he won and surprised himself and the world.

The elite runners packed together among them Haile Gebreselassie and the defending champion Meb Kiflezgie until Queens Borough Bridge, the 16-mile mark. Haile was forced to back down because of a knee injury. Haile told New Yorkers on starting lineup that he had "minor" inflammation on his knee and promised to do his best. It was at Queens Borough Bridge Haile Gebreselassie and Gebre Gebremariam met, Haile said, "Go Gebre! You can not stay far behind" and I am done; the call that motivated Gebre like Mamo Wolde at 1968 Mexico Olympics when Abebe Bikila couldn't finish the race, and it was upto Mamo to carry the torch of victory, and keep Olympic Marathon victory for the third time in Ethiopian hands. The late Mamo Wolde won and that victory was enlivened by the famous song, "Maraton L'eltwa" (Marathon the Queen).

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