Tergat targets Manchester

Tergat followed success in Manchester with a marathon world record

World marathon record holder Paul Tergat said he intends to defend his title in May's Great Manchester Run.

The Kenyan said his 2003 win over the 10k course rescued his season after he was fourth in the London Marathon.

"If I'm recovered after running in London nothing will stop me coming back and competing again in Manchester," said Tergat.

He added: "The victory and time over a tough course (in 2003) proved there wasn't anything really wrong with me."

Two-time Olympic silver medallist Tergat will run in the London Marathon for the third time in April.

"I wasn't sure what would happen when I got an invitation to race in Manchester against a world-class field last year," he said.

"But I can tell you winning it proved a massive tonic for me."

Last October in Berlin, Tergat swiped a massive 43 seconds from Khalid Khannouchi's world mark with an awesome performance of two hours, four minutes and 55 seconds.

Confirmed entries for the women's race in Manchester include Ireland's Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Sonia O'Sullivan, and Australia's world half-marathon bronze medallist Benita Johnson.