Mile News


Lagat Runs 2:17 Debut Marathon in New York City

November 04, 2018

“My body felt hot and tired, but mostly it was my quads that were killing me. At that point, time is irrelevant. You just want to finish..."

By Cathal Dennehy, Runner's World

Plagued by cramping quads and calf muscles over the final miles, Bernard Lagat (right, PhotoRun.net) struggled to the finish of his debut marathon on Sunday in New York City, finishing 18th in 2:17:20. The time was five minutes off his goal of breaking fellow legend Meb Keflezighi’s U.S. Masters marathon record.

Lagat, 43, was a picture of pain afterward, but there was also much pride that he had pushed through to reach the finish.

“Oh, man, it was something out there,” he said. “I have more respect than ever for people who do this."

The moment he stopped running, Lagat was barely able to walk. The former world champion at 1500 and 5000 meters limped to the medical tent for treatment on his calf, which began to tighten after 21 miles.

Minutes later, Lagat had to be helped around by his son, Miika, and stairs were out of the question–Lagat instead took a freight elevator to reach the one-flight-up media center, where he reflected on an exhausting, educational experience.

“Shalane Flanagan told me to not think about anything the first half, so that’s what I did,” Lagat said. “Before I knew it, I was at the half and I was like, awesome.”

Continue reading at: runnersworld.com

Tags: new york city marathon (1) , 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!