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Belfast, UK - World Marathon record-holder Paul Tergat returned to the city

that witnessed the last of his five world cross country victories, running a

controlled race to win the - IAAF permit - Belfast International today.

Tergat didn’t hit the front until the closing stages but always seemed

in command in his final cross country race of the winter. Having abandoned

plans to chase a record sixth World cross title, Tergat was looking to return

to winning ways in Belfast before returning to his marathon preparations at a

Kenyan training camp.

He sat in throughout as a large leading group stayed intact for the first

three of five laps, Italian Umberto Pusterla prominent as were the leading

British athletes but it was always the Africans who were expected to control

matters when things got serious.

Early into the fourth lap World Half Marathon silver medallist Fabian Joseph

of Tanzania began to push the pace, and a trio of Kenyan stars went with him,

with Pusterla remaining the best of the Europeans.

Joseph continued to set the pace on the final circuit but Tergat always

looked strong and when it came down to the final straight there was only going

to be one winner. Tergat eased his way past last year’s fourth placer and

his victory was more convincing than the one second margin suggests.

For full article on iaaf.org - click here