LAGAT HOPES TO TAKE BACK USA 5000M RECORD AT MILLROSE GAMES

By David Monti

(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

(07-Dec) -- Bernard Lagat hopes to regain his "full set" of American indoor track records at the new Millrose Games at the Armory in New York City next February 11, when he competes in the 5000m.  Lagat formerly held every USA indoor mark from 1500m through the 5000m before Galen Rupp clocked 13:11.44 in Birmingham last February to break Lagat's previous record by just 6/100ths of a second.

"The 5000-meters at the Millrose Games at the Armory is a race I'm really excited about," Lagat said through a statement.  "Galen  broke my U.S. record so of course I have to try and get it back."

Last winter, Lagat competed on the Armory's fast 200m banked track for the first time, breaking Doug Padilla's 21 year-old USA two-mile record in the New York Road Runners Deuce Record Challenge, clocking 8:10.07.  He had a great experience there, he said.

"I had a really good run at the Armory when I broke the U.S. two-mile record so I'm looking forward to coming back for another good run," he said.

Lagat has been a Millrose Games fixture since he won his first Wanamaker Mile title in 2001.  He went on to win that event eight times, surpassing the famed "Chairman of the Boards," Eamonn Coghlan.

Before the Millrose Games, Lagat will run the mile at the new U.S. Open meeting at Madison Square Garden on January 28.

ENDS