Former Kenyan middle and long distant runner Bernard Lagat broke the 5000m US record during the 105th edition of the Millrose games held over the weekend. Lagat who now represents USA in international athletics events managed to slash 4 seconds of the previous record to set the new one in a time of 13:07:15.
However, the 38 yr old athlete found himself pushing to reach the finish before his own training partner, NCAA cross country champion Lawi Lalang. Lalang finished in 13:08.28, a new collegiate record, and in 3rd place Stephen Sambu, also a collegian, ducked under the former mark himself in 13:13.74. In seventh, Edward Cheserek, a high school student in nearby Newark, New Jersey ran 13:57.04 to set a national high school mark. With the meet record falling in the bargain, four records were set in the one race.
Lagat is one of the runners who currently poise a threat to Kenya in the middle and long distant races alongside the usual Ethiopian archrivals. He together with the now shining Somali born Briton Mo Farah have proved to give the Kenyans in the 5000m and 10,000m category a run for their money. During the 2011 world athletics championships in Daegu South Korea, Lagat finished 2nd behind Mo Farah to pick up the silver medal in the 5000m race.
Despite the loss of the strong athlete to USA, Kenya had a series of wins with him between 2000 and 2004.Lagat first represented his native Kenya at the 2000 summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia where he managed a 3rd podium finish in the 1500m. This was then followed by a series of wins in the world indoor games, world athletics championships as well as the2004 Olympics. However, he earned himself a naturalized citizenship of USA consequently shifting his nationalism to the American country.
Lagat still holds the Kenyan 1500m outdoor record which he achieved in 2001 at a time of 3:26:34.
Like this Facebook page MICHEZOAFRIKA or follow us on Twitter @michezoafrika for timely updates