Under two weeks to go until Haile Gebrselassie’s next date with destiny - the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Friday, 18 January - and the Emperor is being a bit cagier than his manager. Last week, Jos Hermens said, “I and he are certain he can do under 2:04”. Geb himself however has one or two caveats, and is making no predictions. At least, not yet!

“Yes, I did 2:04 in Berlin (a World record 2.04.26 three months ago),” said Gebrselassie by phone from Addis Ababa at the weekend. “But everything was perfect, the weather, the course, the pacemaking. Sure, it’s possible to do under 2.04, but everything has to be perfect again.”

Forecasts at the moment for early morning in Dubai next week are similar to Berlin in September, ie a temperate 13-15 celsius (55-60F). “That would be great, wonderful,” he said. As for the Dubai course, the new one out and back along the corniche past the 7-star Burj Al Arab hotel has fewer turns. Last year’s winner William Todoo Rotich said immediately after his victory, “sub-2.05 is possible on this course”.

Whether Dubai can match up to Berlin’s superfast course, which has realised five World records in the last decade is another matter. Then again, Haile Gebrselassie is another matter, as 26 World records and bests underline.

As far as pacemaking goes, the line-up for Geb is arguably the best in the world. Former World Half Marathon champion, Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania has been enlisted, and should be joined by 2002 New York and Boston marathons winner, Rodgers Rop, who paced Geb to 30k in Berlin; as long as Rop can get out of a Kenya increasingly beleaguered by tribal strife.