Kenya’s multiple world country gold medalist Paul Tergat was announced on Wednesday as the ambassador for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships set to be held on March 18 in Bathurst, Australia.
Tergat, the current President of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), won five world cross-country titles between 1995 and 1999.
In his acceptance speech, Tergat said he was delighted about the new role as he shared memories on the course.
“Cross country will always be a special event in my athletic career,” said Tergat. “It evokes very nostalgic and fond memories, because this is really where my long athletic career was birthed, developed, and blossomed, with the crowning of five straight World Cross Country Championship titles between 1995 and 1999.”
“In cross country running, I picked up lifelong lessons after conquering diverse conditions, twists and turns, terrains, wetlands, and barriers that define the athletic event.”
Tergat also won team titles for Kenya at each of those five editions of the World Cross Country Championships.
“Belfast remains an iconic race for its challenging, muddy course,” he explained, “but, most importantly, as the race in which I attained my historic fifth consecutive senior men’s title and a 14th successive team title for my country.” This is the reason I have declared that race as ‘the toughest yet, but the best,” he added.
“For these and many other reasons, I never hesitate to make any contribution towards raising the profile of cross country as a central event for every athlete, from track to road running.”
The world cross country championship was scheduled for February 19, 2022, in Bathurst, Australia, but was postponed to 2023 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Five events will be on the program at the Mount Panorama venue: elite races for men and women (10 km), a mixed relay (8 km), and two U20 races for men (8 km) and women (6 km).
