Press Release - The BIG 25 Berlin - 4/7/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                Paul Tergat will run BIG 25 in Berlin

The BIG 25 Berlin on 10th May will be the next race for Kenya's running 
hero Paul Tergat. Race Director Gerhard Janetzky announced the most 
spectacular signing in the history of Germany's oldest city road race. The 
25 k race was initiated by the French forces in West Berlin in 1981 and was 
then called '25 km de Berlin'. It is renowned for its spectacular finish on 
the blue track of the Olympic Stadium. The course leads the runners from 
the arena through the city centre including Brandenburg Gate and back to 
the stadium, which will host the IAAF World Championships this August. 
Organisers expect up to 10,000 entries for their race, which will also 
include a 10 k race and a 5x5 k relay. 

Almost six years after achieving his most spectacular victory in Berlin 
Paul Tergat returns to the German capital. Back in 2003 the Kenyan became 
the first ever marathon runner to break 2:05 hours. For those who want to 
run in the same race with Paul Tergat online entry is available at: 
www.berlin-laeuft.de 

"We are extremely happy to have managed to sign one of the best runners in 
athletics history for the BIG 25 Berlin. Paul Tergat is not only one of the 
most successful athletes but a symbol for the sport of running and an idol 
for many. Additionally he takes social responsibilities and supports 
charity," said Gerhard Janetzky. Since 2004 Paul Tergat is an ambassador of 
the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP).

Paul Tergat was the first one to win the long race of the World Cross 
Country Championships five times in a row from 1995 to 1999 – noone has 
more wins in a row at this event. But Paul Tergat was also successful in 
track and road races, which made him outstanding. There are only very few 
athletes who managed to have extraordinary success on all three surfaces. 
In the 90ies he broke world records at 10,000 m on the track as well as in 
15 k and half marathon road races. At the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2000 
Paul Tergat won two silver medals in the 10,000 m. 

There were many great moments in Paul Tergat's career. But most probably he 
had the best one in Berlin 2003, when he improved the world marathon record 
to 2:04:55. Never before had a runner covered the classic distance in a 
time faster than 2:05. Today Paul Tergat still ranks the fourth fastest 
marathon runner ever. On 10th May he will return to Berlin and compete at 
the BIG 25 for the first time.The course record set by Kenya's Paul Koech 
in 2004 with 1:12:45 is the official world record at this distance as well. 
It remaims to be seen if Paul Tergat can threaten this mark. The 39 
year-old still is in remarkable shape. At the beginning of March he had won 
the Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan with 2:10:22 despite suffereing of jetlag 
problems.

More information and online entry are available online at: 
www.berlin-runs.com 

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