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The guy who came in from the cold...

A few degrees warmer, and Hicham El Guerrouj would probably have done it again.

The Moroccan, arguably the best middle-distance runner on the planet, had a cold time of it at the Grand Prix II meeting Monday night, as he chased a world record in the arctic conditions of the north-east of England.

While the spectators turned up bundled in scars and gloves, El Guerrouj went after Noureddine Morceli's three-year-old world record for the 2000 metres, which stands at 4min 47.88sec. The man who recently shattered Morceli's 1,500m record entered the home stretch still on course, but found it impossible to battle the combination of driving rain, steady wind and biting cold.

El Guerrouj crossed the finish line in 4:48.36, the second fastest time in history but still 0.48 outside what was needed. And the crowd let out a collective groan of disappointment.

"I was surprised to see the crowd sitting there, in the cold and the rain," the Moroccan master of the middle distance said later. "They were fantastic, supported me all the way."

And the record? Given the way El Guerrouj has been running this year, Morceli's record may not have much longer to last.