Paul Tergat

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Paul Kibii Tergat (born in Kenya on June 17, 1969) is regarded by many as one of the most astounding long distance runners of the last decade, along with his Ethiopian rival Haile Gebrselassie. Now concentrating on the marathon, Tergat is an accomplished track, cross country, and road runner. Tergat achieved his most recent victory on November 6, 2005, when he won his New York City Marathon debut in a thrilling sprint finish through Central Park, prevailing over defending champion Hendrick Ramaala 2:09:29.90 to 2:09:30.22.

He currently holds the marathon world record of 2:04:55, which was set September 28, 2003 in Berlin, Germany. In his world record marathon race, Tergat took a wrong turn towards the end of the race. He abraded his foot so badly he later said it felt like the sole of his shoe fell off. Tergat's countryman Sammy Korir, who was employed as a pacemaker for the race, took second place. Korir ran 2:04:56, which stands as the second-fastest marathon performance in history.

Tergat's further achievements include 5 victories in the traditional Saint Silvester Marathon, the most important event in Latin American street racing. He is the principal winner of all times in that race, as well as holder of the record time for the present 15 km distance, which he established in 1995. His performances in the Saint Silvester Marathon have earned him the condition of celebrity in Brazil, where he is the second most recognized African personality, second only to Nelson Mandela.

He has often had to face second place, behind the great Haile Gebrselassie. In the Olympic Games 10,000 m finals of both 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney), the Ethiopian 'Emperor' beat Tergat by a nose after Tergat led both races into the final lap. Tergat finished second to Gebrselassie in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships in Athletics at 10,000m, and finished third in the 1995 version of that race, behind Gebrselassie and Moroccan Khalid Skah. When Tergat raced Gebrselassie in the London Marathon in 2002, it was Tergat, four years Gebrselassie's senior, who got home ahead, in second place behind then world-record holder Khalid Khannouchi.

Prior to the 2004 Olympics, he had announced that the Olympic Marathon would be his last race representing Kenya, although he would continue to compete as an individual. In the Athens marathon, he missed his water point and drank water supplied by organizers. He is accustomed to drinking water at room temperatures, while the organizers supplied cold water. This resulted in cramps. Tergat finished 10^th in the Marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He still cherishes a hope of competing in 2008 Olympics. However, he will not compete in World Championships any more.

In addition to his successes in the Marathon, Tergat also won a record five consecutive IAAF World Cross Country Championships titles from 1995 to 1999.

In January 2004 Tergat was named a UN World Food Programme (WFP) "Ambassador against hunger". When he was a child, Paul Tergat's family was too impoverished to send him to school with food. Were it not for the World Food Program, which provided food at his school, he would never have gotten a full education.

A week prior to the London Marathon on April 23, 2006, Tergat pulled a calf muscle. Calling the injury "cruel," he was forced to withdraw from the star-studded race, which would have featured a long-awaited showdown with Haile Gebrselassie. The race was won by Felix Limo of Kenya.

Tergat plans to defend his NYC Marathon title in the fall of 2006.

Honors

1995
* First Place, IAAF World Cross Country Championships
* Bronze Medal, 1995 World Championships in Athletics 10,000m
1996
* Silver Medal, 1996 Summer Olympics 10,000m
* First place, IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1997
* First place, IAAF World Cross Country Championships
* Silver Medal, 1997 World Championships in Athletics 10,000m
1998
* First place, IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1999
* First place, IAAF World Cross Country Championships
* Silver Medal, 1999 World Championships in Athletics 10,000m
* Gold Medal, IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships
2000
* Silver Medal, 2000 Summer Olympics 10,000m
* Gold Medal, IAAF World Half-Marathon Championship

Personal bests

"+" indicates mark set en route during a longer race
"a" indicates course slightly downhill

Distance	Mark	Date	Location
3,000 m	7:28.70	1996-08-10	Monaco
5,000 m	12:49.87	1997-08-13	Zürich
10,000 m	26:27.85	1997-08-22	Bruxelles
10 km (road)	27:45+	2006-03-26	Lisboa
15 km (road)	42:04+	1998-04-04	Milano
Ten miles (road)	45:12+	1998-04-04	Milano
20 km (road)	56:18+	1998-04-04	Milano
Half marathon	59:06a	2000-03-26	Lisboa
30 km (road)	1:29:00+	2002-04-14	London
Marathon	2:04:55	2003-09-28	Berlin

External links

*IAAF profile for [Paul Tergat]

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