Posted: November 8, 2005

Athletics: Tergat-Ramaala Rematch Set For London

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Race director David Bedford came home from the ING New York City Marathon with more than just his memories of a great race. He also firmed up terms with three of the word's top marathon stars to toe the starting line of the Flora London Marathon next April.

Last Sunday's champion, Paul Tergat of Kenya, will square off against the man he beat by only an eyelash last Sunday, Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, and both men will have to contend with the man many call the greatest distance runner of all-time, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia.

"This exciting rematch will be eagerly anticipated, especially as Tergat's great arch rival and old friend Haile Gebrselassie, will also be joining them on 23rd April 2006," said Bedford via press release. "We have of course yet to announce the other signings in the men’s field."

Tergat and Gebrselassie faced each other in London in 2002 in one of the greatest commercial marathons of all time. At the 22 mile mark Tergat, Gebrselassie and American Khalid Khannouchi were locked in a pitched battle.

"Along the Thames Embankment, it was Gebrselassie and Khannouchi level with Tergat tucked in between them, one stride behind," wrote correspondent Mark Butler in Race Results Weekly. "Into the last two miles Khannouchi made a break. Tergat responded and the unthinkable happened: Gebrselassie was dropped."

Khannouchi went on to win that race in a new world record 2:05:38, with Tergat just ten seconds behind in a Kenyan record 2:06:35 and Gebrselassie in third in 2:06:35. It was a breathtaking event.

"Has there ever been such a day of marathon running?" Butler wrote. "The 22nd Flora London Marathon saw the fastest ever run by a man and arguably the greatest ever by a woman (Paula Radcliffe ran 2:18:56)."

Ramaala, like both Tergat and Gebrselassie, has never won London. He was eighth in 2003 in 2:08:58, then a personal best. He skipped the race in 2004, and was third this year in 2:08:32, a personal best.

Gebrselassie, ensuring a comfortable retirement, signed a three-year deal with London last January, Bedford said. He's coming off of a 2:06:20 victory at the Amsterdam Marathon last month where he had tried to set a new world record.

Bedford announced previously that Radcliffe, the women's world record holder, will also compete.