Bernard Lagat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bernard Lagat

Lagat in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat
Nationality	Kenyan-American
Born	December 12, 1974 (1974-12-12) (age 50) Kapsabet, Kenya
Height	175 cm
Weight	59 kg
Sport
Country	United States  Kenya
Sport	Athletics/Track, Long-distance running
Event(s)	800 m – Marathon
College team	Washington State Cougars
Club	Nike
Turned pro	1998
Coached by	James Li
Achievements and titles
World finals	2001 Edmonton 1500 m, 2 Silver 2007 Osaka 1500 m, 1 Gold 5000 m, 1 Gold 2009 Berlin 1500 m, 3 Bronze 5000 m, 2 Silver 2011 Daegu 5000 m, 2 Silver 2013 Moscow 5000 m, 6th
Olympic finals	2000 Sydney 1500 m, 3 Bronze 2004 Athens 1500 m, 2 Silver 2008 Beijing 1500 m, 12th 5000 m, 9th 2012 London 5000 m, 4th 2016 Rio de Janeiro 5000 m, 5th
Personal best(s)	800 m: 1:46.00 (Berlin 2003) 1000 m: 2:16.18 (Gateshead 2008) 1500 m: 3:26.34 NR (Brussels 2001) One Mile: 3:47.28 (Rome 2001) 3000 m: 7:29.00 AR (Rieti 2010) 5000 m: 12:53.60 AR (Monaco 2011) 10,000 m: 27:49.35 MWR (Palo Alto 2016) 10 km: 27:48 MWR (Manchester 2015) Half marathon: 62:00 MAR (Houston 2018) Marathon: 2:12:10 (Gold Coast 2019)
Medal record Men's athletics Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 1 World Championships 2 3 1 World Indoor Championships 3 2 0 Continental Cup 2 0 1 Universiade 1 0 0 Total 8 5 3 Representing  Kenya Olympic Games Silver 2004 Athens 1500 m Bronze 2000 Sydney 1500 m World Championships Silver 2001 Edmonton 1500 m World Indoor Championships Silver 2003 Birmingham 1500 m Gold 2004 Budapest 3000 m World Cup Gold 2002 Madrid 1500 m Representing  United States World Championships Gold 2007 Osaka 1500 m Gold 2007 Osaka 5000 m Silver 2009 Berlin 5000 m Silver 2011 Daegu 5000 m Bronze 2009 Berlin 1500 m World Indoor Championships Gold 2010 Doha 3000 m Gold 2012 Istanbul 3000 m Silver 2014 Sopot 3000 m World Cup Gold 2010 Split 3000 m Gold 2010 Split 5000 m Bronze 2014 Marrakech 3000 m

Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat, born on December 12, 1974, is a famous runner. He used to run for Kenya and then became an American citizen. He is known for his amazing speed in middle and long-distance races.

Lagat has competed in five Olympic Games. He has won many medals at the World Championships and Olympics, including five gold medals. He is one of the fastest 1500-meter runners ever. He also holds American records in several running events.

Even at 41 years old, he finished 5th in the 5000-meter race at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Today, Lagat coaches cross country and track and field at the University of Arizona. His coach for a long time has been James Li.

Early Life and College

Bernard Lagat grew up in a village called Kaptel in Kenya. He started running in high school and quickly became very good. After high school, he went to Jomo Kenyatta University in Nairobi.

Later, he moved to the United States to study at Washington State University. While there, he won three big college championships in 1998. He won the indoor mile, the indoor 3000-meter race, and the outdoor 5000-meter race. In 2000, he finished college with a degree in information systems.

Bernard's older sister, Mary Chepkemboi, also won a big running race in 1984. His younger sister, Viola Cheptoo, came in second at the New York City Marathon in 2021. Running talent clearly runs in their family!

Running for Kenya (2000–2004)

Lagat first ran for his home country, Kenya, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In the 1500-meter final, he won a bronze medal. He was ranked as the third-best 1500-meter runner in the world that year.

In 2001, Lagat won a silver medal at the World Championships. He also set a new Kenyan record for the 1500-meter race, running it in 3 minutes and 26.34 seconds. This made him the second-fastest 1500-meter runner of all time.

In 2003, Lagat had a problem with a blood test, which caused him to miss a big competition. However, a second test showed he was clear, and he was able to continue his career.

In 2004, Lagat won his first gold medal at an international event, the World Indoor Championships. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he won a silver medal in the 1500-meter race. He was ranked the number one 1500-meter runner in the world that year.

Running for the United States (2005–Present)

Becoming an American Citizen

In 2005, Bernard Lagat announced that he had become a citizen of the United States. Even though he ran for Kenya in the 2004 Olympics, he was allowed to keep his medals. After this, he started competing for the United States. He missed the 2005 World Championships because of this change.

Lagat quickly set new American records in several indoor and outdoor races. These included the 1500-meter, mile, and 3000-meter events.

Double World Champion

At the 2007 World Championships in Japan, Lagat achieved something amazing. He became the first athlete to win both the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races at the same outdoor World Championships. This showed he was a true champion in both events.

Olympic Challenges and More Medals

Bernard Lagat at the 2009 World Championships

In 2008, Lagat won both the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races at the U.S. Olympic Trials. This meant he would represent the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. However, he had an injured Achilles tendon, which is a part of the leg. This injury made it hard for him to train and affected his performance at the Olympics. He did not win any medals there, which he called "the biggest disappointment" in his career.

After recovering, Lagat continued to compete strongly. He won the famous Wanamaker Mile race eight times, setting a new record. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, he won a bronze medal in the 1500-meter race and a silver medal in the 5000-meter race. Even though he was older than many competitors, he was still very motivated to win.

Later Career and Marathon Debut

Lagat continued to break records. In 2010, he set a new American record for the indoor 5000-meter race. He also set another American record for the 3000-meter race. In 2011, he broke his own 5000-meter American record. At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, he won another silver medal in the 5000-meter race.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Lagat finished fourth in the 5000-meter race. He was very close to winning a medal. In 2014, at age 39, he won his seventh U.S. 5000-meter title.

In 2016, Lagat ran his first 10,000-meter race and won! His time set a new world record for runners over 40 years old. He then qualified for his fifth Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. At 41, he finished 5th in the 5000-meter final, showing incredible endurance.

Lagat ran his last professional race in September 2016. After that, he helped other runners, like pacing for Nike's attempt to run a marathon in under two hours. In 2018, he ran his first full marathon in New York City. He continues to inspire many with his long and successful running career.

Personal Life

Bernard Lagat lives in Tucson, Arizona, and Tübingen, Germany. He is married to Gladys Tom, and they have a son named Miika and a daughter named Gianna. He met his wife while they were both students at Washington State University.

In 2023, Lagat was recognized with the Great Immigrants Award. He is a Catholic. Today, he works as the head cross country coach and an assistant track and field coach at the University of Arizona. He helps train distance runners.

International Competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing  Kenya
1999	Universiade	Palma de Mallorca, Spain	1st	1500 m	3:40.99
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	3rd	1500 m	3:32.44
2001	World Indoor Championships	Lisbon, Portugal	6th	3000 m	7:45.52
	Goodwill Games	Brisbane, Australia	5th	Mile	3:57.10
	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	2nd	1500 m	3:31.10
2002	African Championships	Radès, Tunisia	1st	1500 m	3:38.11
	World Cup	Madrid, Spain	1st	1500 m	3:31.201
2003	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	2nd	1500 m	3:42.62
2004	World Indoor Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	3000 m	7:56.34
	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	2nd	1500 m	3:34.30
Representing the  United States
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	1st	1500 m	3:34.77
			1st	5000 m	13:45.87
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	9th	5000 m	13:26.89
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	3rd	1500 m	3:36.20
			2nd	5000 m	13:17.33
2010	World Indoor Championships	Doha, Qatar	1st	3000 m	7:37.97
	Continental Cup	Split, Croatia	1st	3000 m	7:54.752
			1st	5000 m	13:58.232
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	2nd	5000 m	13:23.64
2012	World Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	1st	3000 m	7:41.44
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	4th	5000 m	13:42.99
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	6th	5000 m	13:29.24
2014	World Indoor Championships	Sopot, Poland	2nd	3000 m	7:55.22
2016	Olympic Games	Rio, Brazil	5th	5000 m	13:06.78

¹Representing Africa
²Representing the Americas

Images for kids

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  Lagat in 2011

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  Bernard Lagat at the 2009 World Championships

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  Lagat (center) winning the 5000 m race at the 2016 Olympic Trials

See also

In Spanish: Bernard Lagat para niños