Since then, Khannouchi has known only pain, frustration and some criticism. Since October 2002, Khannouchi has finished one marathon, a series of injuries forcing him to hopscotch the globe in search of medical cures. He is 34 now, hardly ancient, the same age Paul Tergat was when the Kenyan shattered Khannouchi's record in 2003 at Berlin (2:04:55). But mention Khannouchi's name today and most wonder what happened to the one-time star.

Given that his legacy is secure – he's the only person to run three sub-2:06 marathons – some might ask why Khannouchi is still pushing his fragile body.

“Maybe,” he said, “I'm crazy.”

Asked if he can run 2:05 again, Khannouchi, who has trained in San Diego the past four weeks preparing for the April 23 London Marathon, answers in the affirmative, but only after laughing. Asked why he laughed, Khannouchi said, “Sometimes you laugh, especially when you don't have any clues to the problems you have.”

Marathon world record progression TIME ATHLETE (COUNTRY) SITE DATE 2:07:12 Carlos Lopes (Portugal) Rotterdam4-20-1985 2:06:50 Belayneh Dinsamo (Ethiopia) Rotterdam 4-17-1988 2:06:05 Ronaldo da Costa (Brazil) Berlin 9-20-1998 2:05:42 Khalid Khannouchi (Morocco) Chicago 10-24-1999 2:05:38 Khalid Khannouchi (USA) London 4-14-2002 2:04:55 Paul Tergat (Kenya) Berlin 9-28-2003

Khannouchi's troubles began shortly after he won the 2002 Chicago Marathon in 2:05:56. He developed bursitis on the bottom of his left foot. Favoring the foot led to hamstring, ankle and knee injuries.

By Khannouchi's estimate he has traveled to 10 countries seeking help for his foot.

“A lot of expenses,” he said.

His last marathon was a modest (by his standards) 2:08:44 at Chicago in 2004, the slowest marathon of his career.

Asked to afix a percentage to his health at Chicago in 2004, Khannouchi said, “45.” He estimates he's 91 percent fit today.

“I know it's not easy,” he said of his comeback. “It's not coming as natural. Deep down inside, I feel I can compete. That's what keeps me around. Not to prove anything to people. This is what I love to do.”

More than once he thought of quitting.

“As long as I believe he still can do it, I won't let him quit,” said Khannouchi's wife, Sandra, who serves as his coach. “He lost a little bit of faith. Also, his motivation went away.”

There are some who have criticized Khannouchi for running marathons that guaranteed him an appearance fee rather than focusing on the Olympics for his adopted country.

In 2000, he ran the London Marathon three weeks before the U.S. Olympic trials, then passed on the trials. Khannouchi points out that his citizenship status was in limbo until days before the trials and that Morocco's track federation might have exercised a right to block him from representing the United States at Athens.

“If you were in my place, would you leave four months of training down the drain?” he said.

In 2004, he dropped out nine weeks before the trials, citing injuries, then ran Chicago six weeks after the Olympics.

In a scathing commentary before the 2004 Chicago Marathon, Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “If you are a spectator at Sunday's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, when you see four-time winner Khalid Khannouchi approaching, turn your back on him. After all, that is what Khannouchi has done to the United States in the past two Olympics.”

Added Hersh: “The statistical record shows Khannouchi to be truly one of the greatest marathoners of all time. The spoken record shows him to be truly a fraud.”

Said Khannouchi: “I don't care what he's talking about. What he's telling is not the truth.”

The criticism, says Khannouchi, does not bother him. What bothers him is that he is a runner whose body has not permitted him to run of late.

He is cautiously optimistic, hoping his lean 5-foot-5, 120-pound frame does not betray him again.