HAILE Gebrselassie will restrict himself to just two marathons a year before bidding for a third gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Gebrselassie, who has two Olympic 10,000 metres titles already under his belt, is determined he can add to that tally despite the London event being billed as the most competitive marathon in Olympic history.

The emergence of a new generation of stars, led by reigning Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya, means world record holder Gebrselassie will face a severe challenge to his present domination of the event.

Gebrselassie starts his 2010 campaign at the Standard Chartered Marathon in Dubai tomorrow where he will be chasing a third successive win and lower his world mark of two hours three minutes and 59 seconds.

His two previous victories in Dubai saw him post the fifth and 14th fastest ever times and if he can smash the 2008 world record he set in Berlin, he will receive a bonus of one million US dollars in addition to the winner’s purse of US dollars 250,000.

The 36-year-old Ethiopian has no thoughts of retirement and admits he’s excited by prospect of competing in London after refusing to take part in the Beijing Games because of the high pollution in the atmosphere there.

‘‘My plan is to run in 2012 in London - I have to be perfect for that year,’’ Gebrselassie said.

‘‘I don’t want to run more than two marathons a year and this one is the first and the next one, although I don’t know where, will be in Europe.’’