Tergat to make marathon
debut in London

Paul Tergat, the finest cross-country runner in history, is to make his marathon debut in London on April 22 next year.

In a statement on Wednesday, London marathon organisers said they had signed the 31-year-old Kenyan, winner of a record five world cross country titles and also the world half-marathon champion and record holder.

"Tergat is believed by many to be capable of taking the marathon world record to new levels," the statement said.

Tergat, equally proficient at cross country, on the road or on the track, featured last September in one of the most thrilling distance races ever staged.

For once the brilliant Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie looked vulnerable as Tergat sprinted to the front in the final lap of the Sydney Olympic 10,000 metres final.

Somehow Gebrselassie clawed his way back into the race to win by nine-hundredths of a second and relegate Tergat to the silver medal position over 10,000 metres for the fourth time in major championships.

Tergat bounced back from the disappointment of losing that unforgettable race to become the first man to retain the world half-marathon title in Veracruz, Mexico, last Sunday.

His signing is another major coup for the organisers and lends credence to their claim that London is now the best of the big city marathons.