Stars sign up for Great North Run
Posted Thursday, 13 July, 2006
Marathon world record-holder Paul Tergat has been confirmed in a quality field for the BUPA Great North Run.
Also signed up for the October 1st race are Italy's Olympic marathon winner Stefano Baldini and world half-marathon champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco.
Kenyan's Tergat, 37, won in 2001 but pulled out four days before last year's race with a hamstring injury.
He said: "I've won there before so I know the course, and I'm looking forward to a great race."
Matthew Turnbull, who recruits elite athletes for the event, said: "Getting Tergat, Baldini and Gharib within the space of a few hours and quickly confirming contracts is a huge bonus.
"I still have to recruit some other big signings but the fact the stars now know the course is a very fast one encourages them to want to run in the GNR."
Last September, Zersenay Tadesse produced what was the world's fastest-ever half marathon time of 59minutes 05seconds.
It was beaten earlier this year by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie in the United States.
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