This Day in History: 17 June 1969
Paul Kibii Tergat was born in the Rif valley Province in Kenya. Unlike many athletes, Tergat only began running after he completed high school. Early in his career he broke the record by winning five straight IAAF World Cross Country Championships titles, from 1995 to 1999.
He came second in the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sidney Olympics, losing by a small margin to Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. Tergat has broken several world records and was honored with the Abebe Bikila Award in 2010 for his achievements in long-distance running. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished runners of all time.