Missing in Beijing: Kenya’s Paul Tergat

Former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat is not going to the Olympics. Why the absence? Here’s why according to the man himself:

“I have recently come back from training and I’m not fit enough for the Olympics. I only recently completed a military training course and have not trained well enough for the Olympics. I have participated in three Olympics before and that is quite an achievement.”

At 38, maybe Tergat is planning to hang his running shoes? He’s had a successful career, having held the marathon world record for four years, so we don’t think he’ll be regretting this decision to miss the Olympics this year.