Gebrselassie to run Berlin

The 38-year-old won his fourth Manchester 10-kilometre race last month and said at the time his focus was on a fast marathon later in the year in order to get a qualifying time for next year's Olympics.

Berlin is one of his favourite races with the flat and fast course, which runs through the city, the site of his world record of two hours three minutes 59 seconds set in 2008. He also set a world record the previous year there.

"I love the Berlin Marathon. The crowds are fantastic and on a good day everything is possible on this extremely fast course," Gebrselassie said in a statement.

The Ethiopian won the Berlin race four years in a row from 2006.

Two-times a 10,000m Olympic champion in 1996 and 2000, Gebrselassie, dubbed 'The Emperor' in his home country where he is revered, stunned the sporting world when he announced his retirement after dropping out of the New York marathon last November.

He subsequently rescinded his decision and said he would like to end his running career in London next year.