Newly crowned New York marathon champion Paul Tergat will next week receive the Global Oneness Award in Washington DC, local athletics officials confirmed here Monday.

The award is given to people who have done extremely well in sports and promotion of peace around the globe and the world marathon record holder will be feted for his efforts as a World Food Program (WFP) ambassador against hunger, said David Okeyo, Secretary General of the Athletics Kenya (AK).

Past winners of the award include former South African President Nelson Mandela and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The 36-year-old Kenyan was named a WFP Ambassador Against Hunger in January 2004. In addition to efforts to support WFP programs, he recently launched his own foundation to help develop underprivileged children into future athletes.

On Sunday, Tergat sprinted to victory ahead of defending champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa in the New York men's marathon and crossed the line in 2 hour 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

(Xinhua News Agency November 9, 2005)