Elite coaching special - Marathon world record holder Paul Tergat

Tergat on breaking the marathon world record
Paul’s mind was focussed on the world record in Berlin but he knew he had to do it his way: "When I was training for the world record I didn't want to think of anyone’s WR, I didn't want to use anyone else's splits. I decided to run my own regulated pace. I had a lot of confidence in myself and decided I needed negative splits. In the last part I didn't want to hear the voice of my coach [telling him he was dropping off schedule]. The first half was more regulated and the second half the best pace I was able to do.”

Tergat on his early career
Paul’s career has seen him enjoy success on different surfaces as well as at different distances.

He said: "One thing I'm very happy to say is that I've had a lot of experiences in my running career. When I first started building up in cross country I built up to have good stamina and it was good for the track. After that I was able to do track. That helped me a lot.

"Every year I have been trying to make sure I run one half marathon a year. It has helped me to be where I am at marathon. For a long time I have been doing that.  "It might not work for all athletes but it worked very well for me. I don't want to put in people's minds a programme that they have to work like me. You have to do what is good for you and your body and that is the most important thing.

"Before I took up running seriously I was working hard in school. I never knew I had talent or a special gift. I believe all of us are given gifts in different ways. I was hoping to be a pilot. I was focussed on joining the Kenyan Air Force to be a pilot. I tried to get the qualifications I needed to join the air force, I got those and joined. Most of the top runners from Kenya used to come from the military. I met people who I'd been watching for many years and admiring but never had the opportunity meet them. I had been following athletics, athletics in our country is the main sport.”

Paul had kept cuttings of athletics news and had a passion for the sport. But early on it was not so obvious he would go on to the future successes: "I realised I had a special talent when I was 19 years old, before that I never knew I had a talent. I had a good coach. I was struggling to keep pace with the top guys. It took a while to be able to catch up and keep close to those guys.

"I made my first national team in 1992 and flew with the national team. It was my first international.

"My first race was the military championships, I was 12th. I kept training and at the national championships I won. At the international cross challenge in Nairobi I won again. It made the whole difference in my career. It gave me the motivation and hope that I would be able to beat the top guys. At that time I believed most of the top athletes were from Kenya. I won one race or two races and climbed the ladder. In our country there are so many athletes coming in every other three months. To be there for one year or two years is very difficult."

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