Monte-Carlo – The holders of the men’s and women’s Marathon World records, Paul Tergat and Paula Radcliffe, have donated historically significant items of memorabilia from their illustrious careers for the auction which begins Monday 16 January at 9am CET.  All the auction lots will be available for bids for a ten day period via the on-line auction house eBay, and a link to the relevant web pages will be made available on http://www.iaaf.org/

The IAAF’s humanitarian project ‘Athletics for a Better World: The IAAF Stars’ Donation Fund’, offers fans of World and Olympic track and field athletics the chance to buy pieces of unique sporting history.

Fifty star athletes from the Olympics’ number one sport, 23 of whom have been World Record breakers during their career have donated items of personal memorabilia associated with some of their greatest sporting triumphs to the project whose proceeds are to be distributed between three United Nations organisations, FAO, UNICEF and the WFP.

Check out – http://www.iaaf.org/AFABW for further information.

Paul Tergat (KEN)

IAAF Ambassador Paul Tergat (KEN – Africa) who along with Beatrice Faumuina (NZL – Oceania), Debbie Ferguson (BAH – Americas), Carolina Klüft (SWE – Europe), and Koji Murofushi (JPN – Asia) is one of the five Area Patrons of the humanitarian project, has donated his 2005 New York Marathon winning vest and an autographed copy of his book Paul Tergat: ‘Running to the Limit’ to the IAAF.

On Sunday 6 November 2005, in one of the closest and most thrilling finishes in the 35-year history of the New York Marathon race and the overall history of marathon running, Tergat, in his first try at the New York race, edged 2004 winner Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) by a foot or so in a time of 2:09:30.

Tergat’s autographed competition winning vest will be up for auction with his signed book from 16 January.

Paula Radcliffe (GBR)

On Sunday 17 April 2005, Paula Radcliffe who later in the year would be crowned World champion for the Marathon, won the 25th edition of the London Marathon in a time of 2:17:42, the quickest ever clocking in a ‘women’s only’ race. It was the Briton’s third London career win.

One of Radcliffe’s signed competition winning bib numbers has been smartly framed along with two photographs of her from the 2005 London Marathon and will be up for auction from 16 January.