Event: Middle Distance
Born: 12/12/1974
College: Washington State '99
Career Highlights: Holds six American indoor and outdoor records; eight-time winner of the Wanamaker mile; two-time World Indoor and two-time World Outdoor gold medalist; two-time Olympic medalist; four-time USA Outdoor champion
Bernard Lagat has nearly as many American records (six) as he has wins in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games (8). His 2010 season included becoming the first ever American to win both the 3,000m and 5,000m at the IAAF Continental Cup while setting the American record in the indoor and outdoor 3,000m and outdoor 5,000m. Lagat now stands alone in the Millrose Games record book with his eight Wanamaker Mile wins and surpassed Irish legend Eamonn Coghlan’s previous best total of seven wins. Lagat donated all his bonus earnings during the 2010 indoor season to the Haiti Relief Fund. In 2007 Lagat won the first ever gold medal by an American in the 1,500m at the World Outdoor Championships and the first Olympic or World Championships gold for the country since 1908. He also became the first man ever to win the 1,500m-5,000m double at World Outdoors, and the first American to win a World Championship medal of any kind at 5,000m. And in winning both races at the 2006 USA Outdoor Championships, he become the first man ever to pull off the historic double. In 2006 Lagat posted the five-fastest 1,500m times by an American. He also had the fastest 3,000m and 5,000m times that season in the country. Lagat won a pair of 1,500m Olympic medals for his native Kenya before changing his national affiliation to the United States. A U.S. resident since 1996, Lagat officially became eligible to compete for the United States one day after the start of the 2007 World Outdoor Championships. “I thought long and hard before changing my nationality but… I have to look to my future after my running career has come to an end,” Lagat said. In growing up on his family's farm in Kapsabet, Kenya, Lagat sprinted a mile and a half to school each morning, and the same distance back. He began studying at Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology when he became serious about running competitively. Lagat left Kenya for the United States when he received a scholarship from Washington State University in Pullman. He earned BA’s from Washington State in Management Information Systems, and Decision Science (Econometrics). Married to Gladys Tom and they have one son (Miika Kimutai Lagat) and one daughter (Gianna).
USA Championships
2008 Olympic Trials 1,500m (3:40.37) and 5,000m (13:27.47)
Four-time USA Outdoor 5,000m champion – 2006 (13:14.32); 2007 (13:45.87); 2010 (13:54.08); 2011 (13:23.06)
Two-time USA Indoor 3,000m champion – 2010 (8:12.60); 2011 (7:57.17)
2006 USA Outdoor 1,500m champion (3:39.29)
2011 USA Outdoor 1,500m runner-up (3:47.96)
International Championships
2004 Olympic 1,500m silver medalist (3:34.30)
2000 Olympic 1,500m bronze medalist (3:32.44)
Two-time World Indoor 3,000m gold medalist – 2004 (7:56.34); 2010 (7:37.97)
2007 World Outdoor 1,500m (3:34.77) and 5,000m (13:45.87) gold medalist
2009 World Outdoor 5,000m silver medalist (13:17.33) and 1,500m bronze medalist (3:36.30)
2001 World Outdoor 1,500m silver medalist (3:31.10)
2002 World Cup 1,500m champion (3:31.20)
Collegiate Championships
1999 NCAA Indoor mile (3:55.65) and 3,000m (7:54.92) champion
1999 NCAA Outdoor 5,000m champion (14:01.09)
Four-time PAC-10 champion
Awards and Honors
American indoor record holder in the 1,500m (3:33.34); mile (3:49.89); 3,000m (7:32.43)
American outdoor record holder in the 1,500m (3:29.30); 3,000m (7:29.00); 5,000m (12:53.60)
11-time NCAA All-American in cross country and track and field
1999 NCAA Indoor Male Athlete of the Year
1999 PAC-10 Men’s Track & Field Co-Athlete of the Year
Source: http://www.usatf.org/
