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His most recent achievement is a victory at the 2005 New York City Marathon where he beat the defending champion, Hendrick Ramaala, and a field full of world class runners. He currently holds the , 2003 in Berlin , Germany . In his world record marathon race, Tergat took a wrong turn towards the end of the race. He also abraded his foot so badly that it felt like the sole of his shoe fell off. Furthermore, Tergat's 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. However, when the two met in the London Marathon in 2002, it was Tergat, four years Gebrselassie's senior, who got home first, 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 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 water that was very cold. This resulted in cramps. Tergat finished 10th 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. On November 6 , 2005 , Tergat 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. 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. |
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