Breaking through the wall real,-Berlin Marathon, Germany. 28 September 2003 Paul Tergat burst through the Brandenburg Gate, but that wasn’t the barrier he was aiming to break. Fourteen years later, history had moved on down the road. The first sub-2:05 marathon ever run lay 400m ahead of him, if he could only keep going … and stay ahead of his friend and training partner Sammy Korir. He did it, and Korir came in, hard on his heels over the last 200m, only a second later. Third across the line was Titus Munji, who had kept pace with his two compatriots until 36km. It had all been in the plan, which was for Tergat to be paced as far as possible into this deliberate world record attempt. The main unknown was how far that may have been. It was a bold gambit. Although Tergat had all possible credentials RECORD BREAKERS... Paul Tergat and Andres Espinosa - as five-time World Cross champion, former 10,000m world seemed to be hanging on. It was lead. Nothing seemed to change record holder and fastest ever still half a minute shy of world in terms of effort, but it was now over the half marathon - he had record pace. Passing over the up to Korir to claw back that not won a marathon in five course’s single significant rise, space as they raced towards what attempts. But he had run the third Tergat was away with his pacers, was clearly going to be a sub-2:05 fastest marathon ever, over a and at 30km was on pace for a clocking. He couldn’t quite course in London that was very personal best 2:05:45 manage it. clearly less swift than that Berlin could offer. Between them, they raised their Beyond the three-piece band of game. Only 2km later they were Paul and his pacers, it was a great And Berlin had fine-tuned their on record pace by a few seconds, surprise to see veteran Andres offering. The course had been as they sped up along the Espinosa, a former winner in New changed primarily to allow the Kufurstendamm, which was the York, come through to claim iconic Brandenburg Gate to be the finish straight for the old course. fourth place in a time which backdrop to both start and finish. But there remained one more improved the world over-40 best This incidentally changed the loop to run – out towards the by nearly two minutes, to a highly profile from an overall 1m drop to Alexanderplatz, and then back impressive 2:08:46 an overall 1m climb along the along Unter den Linden. The 42,195m of well-surfaced streets pacemakers had long ceased to be The women’s race was that separate the start from the anonymous helpers and were now submerged by the men’s finish (although they are also identified contenders – but at performances, but longtime leader separated by only 850m of straight 36km along Potsdamerstrasse Alina Ivanova finally yielded to road). Titus Munji dropped back to leave Yasuko Hashimoto after 35km – and then faded badly. Hashimoto The changes had also shifted only Korir accompanying Tergat cracked her personal best by three the course’s single modest climb towards a new world record – but minutes, and many ordinary to 8km earlier in the course, whose would it be? Berliners seemed to do something culminating at 27km. Being Result It was only decided – and then similar, judging from the earlier, the climb would be less of MEN not conclusively – with a expressions of pleasure as they a break point, and the 1 Paul TERGAT KEN 2:04:55 kilometre to run. Somehow Tergat checked their watches while denouement could be deferred WORLD RECORD imperceptibly edged into a 10m crossing the finish line. 2 Sammy KORIR KEN 2:04:56 until much closer to the finish 3 Titus MUNJI KEN 2:06:15 line. 4 Andres ESPINOSA MEX 2:08:46 PODIUM PACERS... Sammy Korir, Paul Tergat and Titus Munji M40 RECORD Only 6km into the course the 5 Raymond KIPKOECH KEN 2:09:22 group had been reduced to eight, 6 Kazuhira MATSUDA JPN 2:09:50 of whom four were pacemakers. It 7 Kurao UMEKI JPN 2:09:52 stayed the same through to 15km, 8 Andre RAMOS BRA 2:09:59 the four contenders being last 9 Makhosonke FIKA RSA 2:10:16 year’s winner Raymond Kipkoech, 10 Javier CABALLERO ESP 2:10:44 Tergat, and two Japanese. But WOMEN 1 Yasuko HASHIMOTO JPN 2:26:32 there were other undeclared 2 Emily KIMURIA KEN 2:28:18 contenders among the 3 Ornella FERRARA ITA 2:28:28 accompanying pacemakers. The 4 Ana DIAS POR 2:29:49 second group was already a 5 Alina IVANOVA RUS 2:29:00 minute adrift. 6 Monika DRYBULSKA POL 2:29:58 7 Fumi MURATA JPN 2:30:15 Nothing much had changed by 8 Liz YELLING GBR 2:30:58 25km, except that the Japanese 9 Adelia ELIAS POR 2:34:07 had tailed off and Kipkoech 10 Dagmar RABENSTEINER AUT 2:34:35 30 DISTANCE RUNNING January - April 2004 Another age, another time… …but on the same day. Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half a world away from Berlin, in the Scotiabank Marathon. 28 September 2003 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, two more "It was very nice and I felt his face grimacing with pain as he world records were set. comfortable. I enjoyed the course leaned to the left and dragged and all the support. I received a himself down the final Two older runners outshone the lot of respect from the South straightaway. field. Fauja Singh, 92 years old, Asian community of Toronto, and resident of Ilford, on the outskirts I'm grateful for that. My ambition The crowd were on their feet as of London, travelled to visit family was to knock a minute or two off the seconds ticked by, and he in Toronto and shattered his my record, or get under 6 hours - I made it home with just 50 previous mark to set a new world never expected a time like this." seconds to spare after failing by record for 90+: 5:40:04. only 24 seconds in his previous Singh attributes his success to attempt on the "sub-3, over 70" Not to be outdone, Canadian a healthy diet, including his barrier in May 2001. "I was dead phenomenon, 72-year-old Ed favourite ginger curry, daily on my feet," said Whitlock. Whitlock of Milton, Ontario, meditation for relaxation at his became the first over-70 runner to local Sikh Temple, warm baths, "I couldn't have gone much go under 3 hours - with an and 10 miles a day in training – further. I had a real tough time agonisingly close 2:59:10. running or walking. doing the last 200 metres." Much appreciation was also shown to Several thousand spectators Indeed, Singh looked decidedly local club runners Mike Bedley and lined the last kilometre of the more comfortable at the finish Gary Kapitan who ran, respectively, course. The roar was huge as the than the Canadian record-breaker alongside Whitlock and Singh. nonagenarian Singh crossed the Whitlock. line to be mobbed by ecstatic It was a remarkable day for members of the city's South Asian With his face cut and scraped running in Toronto as well as community and the media. from a fall he took in training Berlin, and consensus was earlier in the week, Whitlock widespread that the Waterfront "I feel great; I'm really happy." showed every sign of the event signalled the return of top- exclaimed Singh after his record enormous physical effort to quality, marathon excitement to finish. establish his remarkable record, the city. DISTANCE RUNNING January - April 2004 31.