Exhibition Park is the venue for the Great North cross-country in Newcastle today and no one has served up more brilliant exhibitions, more regularly, in the distance-running world than Paul Tergat.
Everyone has become accustomed to Kenyans dominating long running events and sometimes it is difficult to be enthused by their performances. But to those who have followed Tergat's career for over a decade he is a hero - and not just because he can run fast.
Tergat, like Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian with whom he has enjoyed a fierce friendly rivalry, is a very special champion, a man who never seems to forget a face. He speaks English, French, Italian and five dialects of his native tongue. He was 22 when he took up running after being promoted to sergeant in Kenya's air force.
What he has achieved in the past 12 years is wondrous, including a world record in the 10,000 metres and another in the marathon last September. But it is for his five consecutive world cross-country titles that he will be best remembered.
The men's world cross-country championship race is the most difficult to win after the Olympic marathon. But Tergat has concluded that he must drop the idea of making it six if he is to win the one he really wants, over 26.2 miles in Athens. Enthused by a pre-Christmas victory at a cross-country event in Brussels, Tergat said he would return to Belgium in March for another tilt at the world title despite bowing out to concentrate on the marathon after his fifth win, in Belfast five years ago.
But now he has accepted that he must focus on Athens. "My focus is winning the London Marathon in April before proceeding to the Olympics," said Tergat. "I feel more relaxed in marathon than cross-country and that is why I would not like to take part in future world cross-country events."
An Olympic title remains Tergat's holy grail after twice being denied gold in the 10,000m by Gebrselassie in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney four years later, in what many experienced observers believe was the greatest race in history.
A gold medal would enhance Tergat's status in the eyes of those who do not appreciate the scale of his successes. "Tergat back home is a hero to every one of us," said the up-and-coming Eliud Kipchoge. "His influence on all of us is massive. It is a great honour to be invited to England and run against him."
Kipchoge at 19 represents the future and burst on to the scene last August, when he beat Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj to win the world 5,000m title in Paris. Along with Ethiopia's world 10,000m bronze medallist Sileshi Sihine he will be Tergat's main opposition today.
The non-African challenge looks set to evaporate with Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid, winner of a fourth European cross- country title in Edinburgh last month, struggling to arrive in time due to visa problems.
