Paul Tergat breaks marathon record at Berlin

Paul Kibii Tergat (born June 17, 1969) is a Kenyan professional athlete. He is the current world record holder in the marathon, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A womens 400m hurdles race on a typical outdoor red rubber track. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, United States. ... The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Look up Athlete in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Modern-day marathon runners Runners in ancient Greece. ...

Now concentrating exclusively on the marathon, Tergat won many titles and set several world records on the track, in cross country, and on the road. Nicknamed the "Gentleman," Tergat is extremely hard-working and self-motivated. He lives and trains in Ngong, near Nairobi. Modern day marathon runners The word marathon refers to a long-distance road running event of 42. ... Ngong, Kenya is southwest of Nairobi, near the Great Rift Valley (click map to enlarge) Ngong, Kenya is a city near the Ngong Hills along the Great Rift Valley, located southwest near Nairobi, in southern Kenya. ... Nairobi (pronounced ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ...

Early life

Paul Tergat was born on June 17, 1969 in Riwo, Baringo District, in Kenya's Rift Valley Province. is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Riwo is a village near Kabarnet in the Baringo District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya. ... Baringo District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. ... Rift Valley is the largest and one of the most economically vibrant provinces in Kenya. ...

Career

Tergat achieved his most recent victory on November 6, 2005, when he won the New York City Marathon in a thrilling sprint finish through New York's Central Park, prevailing over defending champion Hendrick Ramaala 2:09:29.90 to 2:09:30.22. November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York City Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race run over a 42,195 m (26. ... Hendrick Ramaala (born 2 February 1972 in GaMalepo, Pietersburg) is a South African long-distance runner, the winner of the 2004 New York City Marathon. ...

He holds the marathon world record of 2:04:55, which was set September 28, 2003 in Berlin, Germany. That is an average pace of 0:04:46 per mile (12.6 MPH) or 0:02:57 per kilometer (20.3 km/h). In his world record race, Tergat badly abraded his foot. He later said it felt like the sole of his shoe fell off. He also took a wrong turn near the finish. Tergat's countryman Sammy Korir, who was a pacesetter for the race, nearly caught up to him. Korir took second place in 2:04:56, still the second-fastest marathon performance in history. ^{[1] [2] [3]} World records in athletics (track and field) are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Sammy Korir (born December 12, 1971) is a long-distance runner from Kenya, who raced into the history books as only the second man ever to run under 2 hours, 5 minutes, when he finished second in the Berlin Marathon on September 28, 2003: 2:04:56. ... A pacemaker (sometimes colloquially called a rabbit) is a runner who leads a middle distance track event for the first section to ensure a fast time and avoid excessive tactical racing. ...

Tergat won five straight IAAF World Cross Country Championships titles, 1995 to 1999, which was a record. Says Tergat, "Cross country is what I always liked most. It was my world, my passion. Before the IAAF introduced the short course in 1998, all the world class athletes from 1500 m to the marathon were in the same race. The World Cross Country Championship was the toughest distance race in the world to win."^{[citation needed]} IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international Cross country running. ... // The 23rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on March 25, 1995 in Durham, England. ... // The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... // The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco. ... The 1,500 metres is a premier middle distance track event. ...

Tergat's achievements also include 5 victories in the traditional Saint Silvester Marathon, the most important event in Latin American street racing. He holds the record for the present 15 km distance, which he established in 1995. His performances in the Saint Silvester Marathon have earned him celebrity status in Brazil, where he is the second most recognized African personality, second only to Nelson Mandela.^{[citation needed]} The Saint Silvester Marathon is the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Road running in a U.S. Air Force marathon Fun runners taking part in the Bristol Half Marathon Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road (as opposed to track and cross country running). ... km redirects here. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA pronunciation: //) (born July 18, 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in fully-representative democratic elections. ...

He has had an intense rivalry with his friend Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. In the Olympic Games 10,000m finals of both 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney Olympics, he was defeated by Gebrselassie by slim margins. In 2000, the margin of victory was only nine hundredths of a second. ^{[4] [5] [6]} Haile Gebrselassie (Geez haylē gebre silassē; born April 18, 1973) is a long distance track and road running athlete born as one of ten children in Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopia. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, United States. ... The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Tergat finished second to Gebrselassie in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships in Athletics at 10,000 m, and finished third in the 1995 version of that race, behind Gebrselassie and Moroccan Khalid Skah. The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10. ... The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29. ... The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. ... The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13. ... Khalid Skah (born January 29, 1967) is a Moroccan athlete, winner of 10 000 m at the 1992 Summer Olympics. ...

On the track, Tergat broke Gebrselassie's 10,000 meter world record on August 22, 1997 in Brussels, Belgium with a time 26:27.85 minutes. On the road, Tergat broke the half marathon world record on April 4, 1998 in Milan by running in 59:17 minutes. (Tergat had run 58:51 minutes at the Stramilano half marathon in 1996, but a misplaced cone made the course slightly too short and no record was allowed.) The previous record, 59:47 minutes was set by Moses Tanui in 1993. Tergat's world record was broken in 2005 by Samuel Wanjiru, another Kenyan. is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: , Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 Government  - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area  - Region 162 km²  (62. ... In athletics, a half marathon is a race over half the distance of a marathon, i. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the city in Italy. ... Moses Tanui is a former Kenyan long-distance runner who won the gold medal over 10000m at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo. ... Samuel Wanjiru (born November 10, 1986) is a Kenyan long distance runner who currently holds the half marathon world record obtained on September 11, 2005 in Rotterdam Half Marathon. ...

When Tergat raced Gebrselassie in the London Marathon in 2002, it was Tergat who beat Gebrselassie; Tergat was in second place behind then world record holder Khalid Khannouchi. The three runners raced again in the 2007 version with Tergat being the only one of them to finish. Runners surge out of the Blackfriars Bridge underpass onto the Victoria Embankment; two miles to go The London Marathon is a road marathon that has been held each year in London since 1981, usually in April. ... Khalid Khannouchi (Arabic: خالد خنّوشي) (born December 22, 1971 in Meknes, Morocco) is a Moroccan marathon athlete who now represents the United States of America. ...

Tergat, Josette Sheeran Shiner and Drew Barrymore meet with Condoleezza Rice

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 poor to send him to school with food. According to Tergat, he would not have gotten a full education were it not for the World Food Program, which provided lunch at his school.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Josette Sheeran is the eleventh Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ... Italian €2 commemorative coin of 2004 celebrating the WFP The World Food Programme (WFP), the worlds largest humanitarian agency, provides food to more than 90 million people in 80 countries. ...

In the 2004 Athens Olympic marathon, Tergat missed his water point and drank water supplied by organizers. He is accustomed to drinking water at room temperature; the organizers supplied cold water, which gave Tergat cramps. Tergat finished 10^th .

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. Felix Limo (born 1980) is a Kenyan distance runner who specializes in the marathon. ...

Marílson Gomes dos Santos won the 2006 New York City Marathon; Tergat finished third. Gomes made a move at mile 19 and Tergat did not respond, saying "I'll be honest, I didn't know exactly who he was."^{[citation needed]} Tergat steadily closed the gap over the final five miles. ^[7] Marílson Gomes dos Santos, a Brazilian runner, is the winner of the 2006 New York City Marathon, with a time of 2:09:58. ... The New York City Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race run over a 42,195 m (26. ...

Tergat finished sixth (2:08:06) at the 2007 London Marathon in April 2007. The entry list was competitive, including Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie, who dropped out just past the 30-K mark. Kenya's Martin Lel won the race in a time of 2:07.42, after a dramatic, gutsy finish. Runners surge out of the Blackfriars Bridge underpass onto the Victoria Embankment; two miles to go The London Marathon is a road marathon that has been held each year in London since 1981, usually in April. ... Haile Gebrselassie (Geez haylē gebre silassē; born April 18, 1973) is a long distance track and road running athlete born as one of ten children in Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopia. ... Martin Lel (born October 29, 1978) is a Kenyan distance and marathon runner. ...

He has expressed a desire to compete in 2008 Olympics. The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were awarded to Beijing, China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. ...

Honors

• 1995
  • Gold medal, 1995 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  • Bronze medal, 1995 World Championships in Athletics 10,000 m
• 1996
  • Silver medal, 1996 Summer Olympics 10,000 m
  • Gold medal, 1996 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
• 1997
  • Gold medal, 1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  • Silver medal, 1997 World Championships in Athletics 10,000 m
• 1998
  • Gold medal, 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  • Gold medal, IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
• 1999
  • Gold medal, 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  • Silver medal, 1999 World Championships in Athletics 10,000 m
  • Gold medal, IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
• 2000
  • Bronze medal, 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  • Silver medal, 2000 Summer Olympics 10,000 m
  • Gold medal, IAAF World Half Marathon Championships

// The 23rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on March 25, 1995 in Durham, England. ... The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13. ... The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, United States. ... // The 24th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on 23 March 1996 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. ... // The 25th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on 23 March 1997 in Turin, Italy. ... The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10. ... // The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco. ... IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was an annual Half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations and contested from 1992 to 2005. ... // The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29. ... IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was an annual Half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations and contested from 1992 to 2005. ... // The 28th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 18-19 March 2000 in Vilamoura, Portugal. ... The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games held in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was an annual Half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations and contested from 1992 to 2005. ...

Personal bests

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

Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... View of the inner city with the four main churches visible, and the Albis in the backdrop Zürich (German: , Zürich German: Züri , French: , in English generally Zurich, Italian: ) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Brussels (disambiguation). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... District or region Lisbon Mayor  - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is about the Italian city of Milan. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is about the Italian city of Milan. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is about the Italian city of Milan. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... District or region Lisbon Mayor  - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... World records in athletics (track and field) are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Other activities

Tergat set up the Paul Tergat Foundation in 2005. It is meant to help disadvantaged Kenyan sportspeople [1]. He runs a Sports Marketing and PR company known as Fine Touch Communications (organises the annual Sportsman Of the Year Awards in Kenya in conjunction with Safaricom, a leading mobile telephony provider in Kenya. He's also considering launching a clothing line under the name "Tergat" in the coming months. It is proposed that this article be deleted. ...

External links

• Paul's training video 1
• Paul's training video 2
• IAAF profile for Paul Tergat
• Okoth, Omulo. "A Kenyan XC legend - Paul Tergat", IAAF, 23 March 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-23. 
• World Food Programme. "Marathon man with a mission". Retrieved on 2007-03-23. 
• Paul Tergat Versus Haile Gebrselassie - www.paul-tergat.net

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics (known in the US as track and field). It was founded in 1912 at its first Congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

1. ^ Marathon world best progression
2. ^ Tergat goes under 2:05 in Berlin - IAAF
3. ^ YouTube video Paul Tergat's marathon world record - 2003 Berlin marathon
4. ^ 2000 Sydney Olympics YouTube video men's 10000m finish
5. ^ 2000 Sydney Olympics YouTube video men's 10000m last 3k
6. ^ 2000 Sydney Olympics YouTube video men's 10000m introduction, start, and to the 5 lap
7. ^ YouTube video 2006 New York City Marathon Highlights