Elite coaching special - Marathon world record holder Paul Tergat

Tergat on his work with the UN and charities
Paul believes it is important for those who enjoy great privileges to use their position for good: "I have been fortunate to be involved in other charity organisations. I am working hard. You see I come from a community where education has not been a priority before. So many things like water and eating and these things [have to be the priority] But I feel the most important thing is education. I am looking at ways [to improve education]. The kids are the people who really matter.

"In any society to achieve anything in terms of economic growth it has to have its own members qualified academically. We have been doing things to send young guys to the USA to pursue their education and I hope that they will come back, not forget their home, and bring their education back into their own community.

"The UN is a different organisation I am working for. I have also done a lot of work for Operation Smile. It is an organisation that focuses most of its resources and funds to developing countries. Most of the funds go to children who have tumours and deformities. In some countries in Africa they view this as an omen or curse. If a child is born with a tumour or deformity they hide them away - they hide them in the kitchen or bedroom. Since joining I have been able to do a lot of campaigning to make sure in the countryside they should bring out these children to be assisted. The project comes to our country once in a year.

"The campaigning is done before that, then it is a question of going to do the operations and then leaving. I have seen something I will never forget - the smile of those parents seeing their baby being normal again after half an hour. Most operations only take half an hour. The child has a lot more confidence in themselves to pursue their dreams in education or anything they feel they are good at in life.”

Tergat on his successes
We asked Paul which of his successes he rates most highly and how he had found the move up to marathon. He said: "All of them are favourites. I have done cross country and won five times [the world cross]. I have been on the track for several years and had a world record in the 10K. I have achieved a world best, if not a world record at the marathon. It took me a long time - five times before I won one marathon. I can say I really enjoy running on all surfaces.

"The first time I ran a marathon was at London, purposely, because of the field I saw on the start line there. I saw everyone would be there. I saw this as important. I have believed for many years that your best times come with the best competition not a one man show. When everyone is there I believe in the competitive nature of myself. I believed that London would be a good opportunity to return good times.

"At one point I knew I was capable of running 2hr 4min. It was not something I wanted to say but I knew in my heart I thought I was capable of it. The landscape of the marathon is going to change altogether. Most of the athletes who are good on the track are going to run a marathon.

"I think track and field athletes bring a different discipline."

But Paul is not expecting the world best to go under 2hr 4min yet. He said that the track runners moving to marathon would not find the switch easy either due to the increase the mileage needed to run well at marathon.

He spoke of his own experience: "Something was bothering me. I came to the marathon but I had not won any single marathon and that is the most important thing. I didn't have anything to prove in cross country so I decided I needed to focus on the marathon challenge. For me I needed to focus more on in terms of working out and winning the one marathon.

"No one athlete is just going to move from track to marathon - it's very, very hard. Your body still has a lot of speed that is like a wildfire in the forest. You need like a steady fire that can be sustained for a time. Since moving I think I have that speed [sustainable for 42K]. The marathon will cut you to size. At 38K you realise, 'Where is that speed?' I do that in training but you feel the cramps coming in from 38K or 39K to 42K. You can feel you are running very fast but someone outside says you are in fatigue and slowing, you need encouragement. Fast track runners have to approach it cautiously. That's very, very hard, it takes one or two marathons. Your first two or three marathons are crucial or you won't have the motivation.

"The only thing to do is to increase the mileage - it is very simple. But you have to be very cautious again - otherwise you will be injured.

"The marathon record is the ultimate for me. When I came to the marathon I never knew how tough it would be to get to the top. My first marathon was so frustrating I thought of quitting, and going back to cross country and track. After my first one I spoke to my coach and he advised me that my first one was not the end. I realised after the first one that something was missing but I didn't know what. But it was the mileage. I was able to increase my mileage - now Paul Tergat is there.”

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