The spirit of Mumbai, the colour of Mumbai, has made the Mumbai Marathon the city's very own annual event.

This enthusiasm, which saw more than 27,000 participants converge at the Azad Maidan on Sunday for the third edition, drew applause from none other than one of the finnest distance runners in the world -- Paul Tergat.

The Kenyan world record holder, declaring that the run is truly a world class event, said it is special because of its "incredible partcipants".

The 37-year-old, dressed smartly in a striped suit, said the buzz around the event showed that marathon running is "going to be a culture" for Mumbaiites and it should encourage people from other parts of the country as well.

"We want to see some good athletes from India," said Tergat. "You cannot rely on cricket alone, so that when you go to the Olympics [Images] you have a strong field in all the disciplines."

Tergat said though India has the talent to make it in the world of athletics it hasn't shown the inclination to groom it.

"I don't think India has ever made a conscious decision to play more sports. The cricket and soccer will always be there, but they haven't taken the opportunities to build talent in other sports."

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He was impressed by the fact that the elite runners constantly raised the bar in Mumbai, clocking lesser times than the previous years.

"We are going to get some good times here. Cooler weather this time has definitely helped the athletes to improve their performance here."

Tergat became the first runner to complete the marathon in less than two hours and five minutes when he clocked 2:04:55 at the Berlin Marathon in 2003. Luckily for him, the record came one hundreth of a second before another man achieved the feat.

Compatriot Sammy Korir came second in Berlin by recording a time of 2:04:56, in a race that saw the best eight timings under 2:10.

"It was a great day and it was a great record by a great player," said Tergat, who watched the Mumbai Marathon from the sidelines on Sunday.

The veteran Kenyan runner, who won the New York Marathon mast November, said the record is not impossible to break, but it is unlikely that he would challenge it again.

"My time is ticking," Tergat said, pasting another toothy smile.