Paul Tergat - one of the world's most accomplished athletes - will compete in the The 2001 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, it was announced today by Carey Pinkowski, executive race director. Tergat will join a world-class field that now includes Kenyan marathon record holder Moses Tanui, Fabian Roncero, Takayuki Inubushi and Mohamed Ouaadi. The 2001 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 7TH. Athletes will be competing for $450,000 in prize money, plus time bonuses.

"Paul is one of the greatest distance runners of all-time," said Pinkowski in making the announcement. "He possesses the track credentials and athletic ability to challenge Chicago's 2:05:42 world-best performance. With the addition of Paul and other superb athletes including Tanui, Roncero, Inubushi and Ouatti, we look forward to exciting results on October 7th."

Tergat, 31-years old from Baringo, Kenya, has just turned to the marathon after one of the most successful and decorated track careers in history. He is a former World Record holder in the 10,000 meter (26:27.85) and two-time silver medallist in the Olympic 10,000 meter (1996 & 2000). Tergat won five consecutive World Cross Country Championships from1995 to 1999. He holds two world half-marathon championship titles (1998,1999) and a World Record in the distance (59:06). In 2001, Tergat ran his debut marathon in London, where he finished second (2:08:15). This will be Tergat's first appearance in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and first road race in the United States.

Moses Tanui, a 37-year old veteran from Eldoret, Kenya, returns to Chicago for the fourth time. His second place finish in The 1999 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon (2:06:16) was the third fastest marathon performance ever and a Kenyan national record. Last year he finished third in Chicago (2:07:47). Tanui is a two- time Boston Marathon champion (1988 & 1992) and two-time Olympian in the 10,000 meter (1988 & 1992).

Fabian Roncero, 30-years old from Madrid, Spain, won the 1998 Rotterdam Marathon (2:07:26) and came back in 1999 to set a personal best and Spanish record of 2:07:23 with his second- place finish. His Rotterdam performances were the 28th and 29th fastest marathon performances of all-time. In 2001, Roncero won the Berlin Half-Marathon with a sub-one hour performance (59:52). He will be competing in his first LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

Takayuki Inubushi, 29-years old from Japan, is the second fastest marathoner in Asian history. He finished second in the 1999 Berlin Marathon (2:06:57) with the 13th fastest marathon performance of all-time. In 2000 Inubushi finished fourth in the Tokyo Marathon (2:08:16) and qualified for his first Japanese Olympic marathon team. In 2001 he finished seventh at the London Marathon (2:11:42). This will be Inubushi's first appearance in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

Mohamed Ouaadi, 31-years old from Marseilles, France, won the 2000 Paris Marathon (2:09:54). He finished second in the 1999 Fukuoka Marathon in Japan with a personal best time of 2:07:55. Last year he finished eighth in the Sydney Olympic Marathon on a very windy, challenging course. This will be Ouaadi's first appearance in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is one of the premier races in the world. From 1996 to 2000 the number of registered runners grew three-fold from 10,925 to 33,171. In addition to the amazing growth of the field, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is now one of Chicago's favorite annual traditions with more than 900,000 spectators attending the race in 2000.

Chicago has one of the world's fastest courses. A men's World Record time of 2:05:42 was set in 1999, and an American Record of 2:07:01 was set in 2000 by three-time winner Khalid Khannouchi.

The 2001 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon begins Sunday, October 7, 2001, at 7:30 a.m., starting and finishing in Chicago's Grant Park. The race will be televised live on NBC5 and broadcast on Chicago's ESPN Radio 1000 from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The 2001 race is expected to draw up to the registration cap of 37,500 participants who will compete for $450,000 in prize money, plus time bonuses. Registration has reached 36,000 and is expected to be close very soon.