None TERGAT VERSUS FAGAN CLASH TO HEADLINE GREAT IRELAND RUN Some of the world’s outstanding distance runners will lead off over 10,000 runners in the Great Ireland Run at lunchtime on this Sunday, April 5th in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.
Paul Tergat a former holder of the world 10000 metres track record will be taking nothing for granted when clashing with Martin Fagan at the Great Ireland Run on Sunday.
The pair go head-to-head on the roads of Phoenix Park in Dublin with both men arriving for the meeting in great shape highlighted by their performances in recent weeks.
Tergat showed last month that age is no barrier to distance running when at the age of 39, defeating world class opposition to win the Lake Biwa Marathon in windy conditions with a time of two hours 10 minutes 22seconds.
The in-form Fagan three weeks ago broke John Treacy’s 21-year-old Irish half marathon record with a quick clocking of 1hr 00min 57sec at the Fortis City-Pier-City Half-Marathon in the Hague.
The 25-year-old Mullingar runner then returned to his high altitude training base 7,000 feet above sea level in Flagstaff, Arizona, to prepare for his clash with Tergat.
Certainly his Kenyan rival is taking him very seriously and on arriving in Dublin on Thursday, admitted he has been impressed by the emergence of a new Irish star.
Tergat identifying Fagan as his main rival for the title in a very strong line up, said: “He’s a very strong young man and is going to be the one to beat on Sunday.”
The five times world cross country champion despite his exertions in Japan five weeks ago, is adamant he has recovered from his unexpected victory on Japanese soil.
“I had jet lag problems and there was a lot of wind but I felt okay,” said Tergat. “Since returning home I’ve been training well and everything has gone okay.”
The ex world marathon record holder sidelined for nearly a year with injuries, added: “I am very excited about how I came back in Japan and I’m now really motivated again about my career.”
Tergat sharing the opinion of his great rival Haile Gebrselassie who will be 36 on April 18, insisted: “You don’t have to retire at 33 or 34. As a distance runner you can go on for much longer – over 40!”
Whilst Tergat and Fagan’s clash is eagerly awaited, there is plenty of opponents in one of the strongest fields ever assembled for the event and who will have the ability to push them to the wire.
Brazil’s Gladson Silva Barbosa, Andrew Carlson of the USA, Pablo Villalobos from Spain and Argentinia’s Javier Carriqueo speahead the overseas challenge with British 1500m Olympian Tom Lancashire stepping up in distance.
Organisers have also managed to attract the cream of Irish distance runners who will set off at the head of a 10,000 strong field although Mark Carroll has had to withdraw due to a family illness.
The women’s race heralds the appearance of Mary Cullen another emerging USA based athlete who won the 3000m bronze medal at last month’s European Indoor Championships.
Cullen of North Sligo who earlier in the year smashed Sonia O’Sullivan’s Irish record for the event, will be racing over distance against some very experienced 10000m performers.
Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka winner of the recent Paris half marathon, Fernanda Ribeiro the former Olympic 10000m gold medallist and Kenya’s Sally Barsosio, headline the opposition.
Fellow Irish entrants Deidre Byrne and Rosemary Ryan will also be looking forward to producing top displays on home territory.
The Run begins at 1:05 pm and will be shown live on RTE Two television for 1 hour and 40 minutes.