BERNARD LAGAT
Events: Middle Distance
Height: 5-8
Weight: 134
PRs: 1,500m - 3:26.34 (2001); Mile - 3:47.28 (2001);
3,000m - 7:32.43iAR (2007); 5,000m - 12:59.22 (2006)
Born: Dec. 12, 1974, in Kapsabet, Kenya
Current Residence: Tucson, Ariz.
College: Washington State ‘99
Coach: James Li
Agent: James Templeton
Club: Nike 

Career Highlights: 2007 World Outdoor 1,500m and 5,000m champion; 2004 Olympic 1,500m silver medalist; 2000 Olympic bronze medal; 2008 Olympic Trials 5,000m and 1,500m champion; 2004 World Indoor Champs 3,000m gold medalist; 2001 World Outdoor Champs 1,500m silver medalist; 2002 World Cup 1,500m champion; 2007 USA Outdoor 5,000m champion; 2006 USA Outdoor 1,500m and 5,000m champion; U.S. indoor 1,500m, mile, 3,000m record holder; U.S. outdoor 1,500m record holder

Lagat’s 2008 season was highlighted by winning the men’s 1,500m and 5,000m national titles at the U.S. Olympic Trials – Track & Field for the second time in his career, having first accomplished the feat in 2006. In the final 100 meters of the men's 1,500m final at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, Lagat sprinted cleanly to the front and went on to cross the finish line first in 3 minutes 34.77 seconds. It was Team USA's first ever gold medal in that event at a World Outdoor Championships, and the first Olympic or World Championships 1,500m gold medal since 1908, when Hall of Famer Mel Sheppard won the Olympic title. In the Osaka 5,000m final, Lagat became the first man ever to win the 1,500m/5,000m middle-distance double at World Outdoors, and the first American to win a World Championship medal of any kind at 5,000m with his winning time of 13:45.87. On February 17 in Birmingham, Lagat broke the American record in the indoor 3,000m, with his time of 7:32.43. He also ran the fastest time in the world indoors 2007 in the mile with his 3:54.26 win at the 100th Millrose Games. Lagat had already piled up a series of wins in 2007, including the AT&T Outdoor Championships (5,000m), Millrose Indoor Games (mile) and Birmingham indoor (3,000m). He continued his domination of U.S. middle distance running in 2006 with his wins in the 1,500m and 5,000 meters at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis, becoming the first man ever to pull off the historic double. Also in 2006, Lagat posted the five-fastest 1,500m times by an American, and the fastest 5,000m time by a U.S. competitor with his win at London in 12:59.22. His 3,000m winning time of 7:34.41 in Rethymno on July 21 was the fastest by an American in 2006. A two-time Olympic 1,500m medalist for his native Kenya, Lagat competed for Kenya on August 24, 2004. "I thought long and hard before changing my nationality but, at the age of 30, I have to look to my future, after my running career has come to an end," Lagat said at the time. "I hope to continue running at the very highest level until at least the 2008 Olympics. A U.S. resident since 1996, Lagat is a graduate of Washington State University. IAAF rules state that an athlete changing national affiliation must wait three years since last competing for his native country before competing for a new country. Lagat became eligible to compete for the United States on August 25, 2007, one day after the beginning of the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan. Shortly after becoming a U.S. citizen, Lagat turned his attention towards rewriting the U.S. record books. He set two records from his 3:49.89 indoor mile at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 11, 2005 including an official 3:33.34 record for the 1500m set en route to the mile victory. Those performances bettered the previous indoor records by Steve Scott (3:51.8, 1981) for the the mile and by Jeff Atkinson, (3:38.12, 1989) for the 1500 meters. His winning time of 3:29.30 at Rieti, Italy on August 28, 2005 in the outdoor 1500m was ratified as a new American record improving the 1985 record of 3:29.77 by Sydney Maree. . 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. As much as he enjoyed running for fun, Lagat was even more passionate about his education. It wasn't until he began studying at Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology that he got serious about running competitively. Lagat left Kenya for the United States when he received a scholarship from Washington State University in Pullman. The school was seeking star African runners, hoping to raise the profile of middle-distance and distance-running in the United States. Lagat was seeking academic advancement. He earned BA’s from Washington State in Management Information Systems, and Decision Science (Econometrics). He reached All-American status twice in cross country and nine times in track and field while wearing a Cougar uniform.  As a collegian, Lagat won the mile and 3000m races at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Championships, earning the title of NCAA Indoor Male Athlete of the Year. That same year, Lagat won the 5000m race at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He accumulated four Pacific-10 Conference championships and was named Men's Track & Field Co-Athlete of the Year in 1999. He was Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Male Athlete of the Year on three occasions. Lagat became a father on January 12, 2006 when his wife, Gladys Tom, gave birth to son Miika Kimutai Lagat.

2008: 6th in 1,500m semifinals at Olympic Games (3:37.79)…Olympic Trials 5,000m and 1,500m champion (13:27.47,3:40.37)…1st in two mile at Nike Prefontaine Classic (8:12.45)...1st in 1500m at adidas Track Classic (3:35.14)…1st at Rieti (3:32.75)…bests of 3:32.75 & 13:16.29.
2007: World Outdoor 1,500m (3:34.77) and 5,000m champion (13:45.87)...USA Outdoor Champion 5,000m (13:30.73) and 3rd in 1,500m (3:35.55)…1st at Millrose Games (3:54.26WL)…1st in 3,000m at Birmingham (7:32.43iAR)…Runner-up at Reebok Grand Prix in mile (3:53.88)…2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic in Bowerman Mile (3:50.56)...3rd in 1,500m at Sheffield (3:36.24)…1st in 1,500m at London (3:35.71)…3rd in 1,000m at Stockholm (2:16.25)…ranked #2 in world, #1 U.S. at 1,500m, ranked #3 in world, #1 U.S. at 3,000m, ranked #4 in world, #1 U.S. at 5,000m…bests of 3:34.77, 7:32.43i, 13:30.73.
 2006: USA Outdoor 1,500m (3:39.29) and 5,000m Champion (13:14.32)… 2nd at adidas Classic (3:32.94)…1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (3:51.53)…1st at Rieti (3:29.68U.S. Leader)…1st at Rethymno (7:34.41U.S. Leader)…1st at London (12:59.22U.S. Leader)…3rd at Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis (3:31.48)…3rd at Athletissima (3:32.19)…ranked #3 at 1,500m, #9 at 5,000m in the world and #1 in 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m in U.S. by T&FN…bests of 3:29.68, 7:34.41, 12:59.22.
 2005: 1st at Rieti 1,500m (3:29.30, U.S. record, world leader)set U.S. Indoor records at Powered by Tyson Invitational (mile, 3:49.89 & 1,500m, 3:33.34)2nd at Oslo (3:48.38U.S. leader, #2 in world)#1 at World Athletics Final 3,000m (7:38.00U.S. leader)...1st at Wanamaker Mile in a Millrose and MSG record (3:52.87)...1st at Berlin 5,000m (12:59.29U.S. leader)...ranked #2 in world, #1 U.S. at 1,500m/mile, #5 in world (#1 U.S. at 3,000m)...bests of 3:29.30AR, 3:48.38 U.S. leader, 7:38.00 U.S. leader, 12:59.29 U.S. leader.
2004: Olympic 1,500m silver medalist (3:34.30)…World Indoor Champs 3,000m gold medalist (7:56.34)…1st at Brussels (3:36.24)…1st at Zurich ( 3:27.40WL)…ranked #1 in world at 1,500m/mile by T&FN…best of 3:27.40.
2003: World Indoor silver medalist (3:42.62)…1st at Millrose Games (4:00.36)…2nd at Zurich (3:30.55)…1st at Stockholm (3:32.99)…1st at Modesto (3:40.66)…ranked #4 in world by T&FN…best of 3:30.55.
2002: 1st at World Cup (3:31.20)…2nd at Grand Prix Final (3:30.54)…1st at Stockholm (3:31.38)…1st at African Championships (3:38.11)…2nd at Monaco (3:27.91)…ranked #2 in world by T&FN…best of 3:27.91.
2001: Silver medalist at World Outdoor Champs (3:31.10)…ran third-fastest 1,500m in history at Rieti (3:26.34)…ranked #2 in world by T&FN…best of 3:26.34.
2000: Olympic Games bronze medalist (3:32.44)…1st at Mt. SAC (3:54.97)…2nd at Grand Prix Final (3:36.88)…best of 3:28.51…ranked #3 in world by T&FN…best of
1999: NCAA Outdoor5,000m champ (14:01.09)…NCAA Indoor mile champ (3:55.65)…NCAA Indoor 3,000m champ (7:54.92)…3rd at Zurich (3:30.56)…ranked #4 in world by T&FN…best of 3:30.56.
1998: Best of 3:34.48.
 

08/18/08