Mile News


He’s Not a Morning Person: 7 Things We Learned About Bernard Lagat

August 19, 2016

“The last Mile I just felt strong, and I was counting the numbers. Coach [James] Li told me, ‘Don’t finish sixth. Finish fifth.’”

By Sarah Lorge Butler, Runner's World

Bernard Lagat, 41, ran the first round of the men’s 5,000 meters on Wednesday morning. With his fifth-place finish in his heat in 13:26.02, he qualified for the final on Saturday night. (The top five finishers in each of two heats, plus the next five fastest times, advanced to the final.)

After the race, he spoke to reporters for a few minutes. In that time Lagat, the oldest runner on the U.S. Olympic team, had plenty to say. Below are the highlights:

Lagat won a medal 16 years ago at the Olympics in Sydney. How strange is it to still be running at the Games?

“It is crazy,” Lagat said. “But you know what? It is hard work, too. You believe every single day. When I was running in 2008 in Beijing [to think] that you’ll ever come back and run in 2012 and 2016, I would have said no. The last Olympics in 2012, I went for my last opening ceremony and my last closing ceremony. I was in London full swing. That was my last. So this is something I’m enjoying doing right now.”

Continue reading at: www.runnersworld.com

Tags: rio 2016 (54) , olympics (67) , bernard lagat (35)

Facebook Comments

Return the Mile to prominence on the American & worldwide sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the Mile to create a movement.

ELEVATE
Bring Back the Mile as the premier event in the sport, and increase interest in and media coverage of the Mile for both those who love the distance as well as the general public.

CELEBRATE
Bring Back the Mile to celebrate the storied distance and to recognize the people who made and make the Mile great and to promote Mile events and the next generation of U.S. Milers.

NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Bring Back the Mile to create a national movement for the Mile as America’s Distance,
to inspire Americans to run the Mile as part of their fitness program and to replace the 1600 meters at High School State Track & Field Meets across the country.

Become a Mile Maniac member or a BBTM sponsor today! Join us, and go Mile!

Join Us

Thanks for joining the movement and being a Mile Maniac. We'll keep you up to-date with our Mile wires as well as exclusive contests and opportunities. Help us spread the word by sharing our site and joining us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!