Photo: Michael Gross—Public domain
Paul Tergat
- Born
- Jun 17, 1969 (57 years old)
- Birthplace
- Baringo County, Kenya
- Events
- 10 000 m · 3000 m
- Height
- 1.82 m
- Weight
- 62 kg
Paul Tergat is a Kenyan former long-distance runner born on 17 June 1969 in Baringo County. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time, excelling across track, cross country, and road events throughout his career.
He lives and trains in Eldoret, Kenya. Tergat made history in 2003 by becoming the first Kenyan man to set the world record in the marathon, clocking 2:04:55.
Over the course of his career, he set several world records and won numerous titles across multiple disciplines. Towards the end of his competitive years, he focused exclusively on the marathon, building a legacy that earned him recognition as one of the most versatile distance runners the sport has ever seen.
As of Oct 27, 2026: 10 000 m 26:27.85 (#4 all-time), 3000 m 7:28.70, 2009 season best 28:46 (Apr 5, 2009, Dublin (IRL)) · Olympic Games: 2 silver · World Championships: 2 silver, 1 bronze · National record (10 000 m) · 57 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| World Championships | – | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | – | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 10Kilometr | 28:46 | – | Apr 5, 2009 | Dublin (IRL) |
| 2009 | Marathon | 2:10:22 | – | Mar 1, 2009 | Otsu (JPN) |
| 2008 | 10Kilometr | 30:43 | – | Aug 31, 2008 | Roma (ITA) |
| 2008 | Semi | 1:01:34 | – | Sep 28, 2008 | Lisboa (POR) |
| 2008 | Marathon | 2:13:10 | – | Nov 2, 2008 | New York City Marathon |
| 2007 | Semi | 1:04:58 | – | Sep 23, 2007 | Porto (POR) |
| 2007 | Marathon | 2:08:06 | – | Apr 22, 2007 | London Marathon |
| 2006 | Semi | 59:42 | – | Mar 26, 2006 | Lisboa (POR) |