Posted: February 5, 2005

Athletics: Lagat Scorches Wanamaker Mile Record

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

NEW YORK (04-Feb) -- Two-time Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat capped his 5-day visit to New York City with an overpowering performance in the Wanamaker Mile, the signature event of the 98th Millrose Games held at Madison Square Garden tonight.

Following the aggressive pace set by fellow Kenyan Elkanah Angwenyi, Lagat took the first quarter in a swift 55.8 seconds.

"I knew that the pace was not going to be easy, but I was determined to follow it," Lagat said later.

Three laps into the 11-lap race, the two Kenyans had built a significat gap over the rest of the field, including America's best miler, Alan Webb of Reston, Va., and two-time Wanamaker Mile champion, Laban Rotich of Kenya.

With Lagat urging him on in Swahili, Angwenyi kept up the pressure, and the Kenyan duo reached the halfway point in 1:54.3. Angwenyi stepped aside with four laps to go and Lagat, spurred on by the roar of the Garden Crowd, was left to race only against the clock. Now running half a lap ahead of the field, he hit the three-quarter mark in 2:52.8. He was not only gunning for Eamonn Coghlan's 1981 Wanamaker record of 3:53.0, but also Noureddine Morceli's Madison Square Garden record of 3:52.99 set in 1991.

"I knew the pace was quick, but I wasn't scared," he said.

Covering the final quarter in sixty seconds, Lagat's form held-up to take him to the tape in 3:52.87, a remarkable time for the tight 141 meter Garden track.

"I am not doing any speed work," Lagat said plainly, adding that he was still in the endurance phase of his training. Earlier in the week he described how good he felt on a 13-mile endurance run he had done with Abdi Abdirahman in the mountains near Tucson before he flew to Boston for last Saturday's Reebok Boston Indoor Games. When he runs 73 minutes on the course he calls "Abdi Loop," he knows he is strong. He said he broke 72 minutes.

"I think I can do a 3:50 now on a 200m track," he said.

As for Webb, who finished third behind Rotich, he was happy he made the decision to contest the race, his first appearance in the Millrose Games. "I paid for it a little bit at the end," he said of the early fast pace. He than added, "I would have liked to make a late charge and catch up to Bernard. I just fell short this week." He added, "It was a great learning experience."

Lagat, who earlier in the week visited the Empire State Building and attended "Late Night with David Letterman" with his wife, Gladys, was clearly pleased with his third Wanamaker Mile victory (he last won in 2003). "It was one of the greatest miles (I've run)," he said.

Results: Wanamaker Mile:
 1. Bernard Lagat, Nike (KEN), 3:52.87 MR
 2. Laban Rotich, adidas (KEN), 4:00.33
 3. Alan Webb, Nike, 4:00.91
 4. Rob Myers, Reebok, 4:02.42
 5. James Thie, NYAC (GBR), 4:02.70
 6. James Nolan, Asics (IRL), 4:06.51
 7. Elkanah Angwenyi, Nike (KEN), 4:12.64

NOTE: Look for a more complete report on the meet in Monday's Race Results Weekly --Ed.