Bernard Lagat Runs 13:11.50 to Smash Men's 5000m American Record at Reebok Boston Games: Flash Update

By LetsRun.com
February 6, 2010

Bernard Lagat intends to gradually move away from the mile and focus on the 5000m and he wasted no time in making his first run over 5000m in 2010 a huge success as he ran 13:11.50 to smash Galen Rupp's year old American record of 13:18.12. Lagat got the narrow win over Ethiopians Dejen Gebremeskel and Bekana Daba at the Reebok Boston Games.

The Golden Boy, Galen Rupp, was a very respectable fourth in 13:14.21, nearly four seconds faster than his previous American record. Rupp had been battling a head cold this week but was cleared to run. He pushed the pace from 4000m to 2 laps to go as chronicled in the official LetsRun.com Message Board thread on the race.

LetsRun.com message board poster piedmontcat summed it up best. "Men's USA distance is officially at an all-time high. 13:11 and 13:14 in the same race, indoors, in early February is just insanely unbelievable.

We could realistically have 6 guys under 13 mins this summer!!"

Other Action
In other action, Olympic 1500m silver medallist Nick Willis, who missed the entire 2009 outdoor season with an injury, returned to action in his first pro-race in nearly a year with a 3:55.26 win in the men's mile over Will Leer, David Torrence, and Leo Manzano. (Willis had done a 1:54, 8:28 double on January 6th and a 1:52.6 and 8:15.1 double on January 22nd in a low key meet in New Zealand. Willis ran 3:53.54 to win here last year).

World beater Tirunesh Dibaba ran 14:44.53 to win the women's 5000m exhibition race (there were 3 finishers), Terrence Trammell ran a 7.49 meet record in the hurdles, and Kenia Sinclair upset Anna Willard Pierce (winner of 2 Golden League 800s in 2009 and a LetsRun.com AOY nominee) in the women's 1000m

Men's 5000m results below. Full meet results here. More LetsRun.com coverage with a more in depth recap coming.

1	Bernard Lagat		USA	13:11.50
2	Dejen Gebremeskel		ETH	13:11.78				[13:11.772]
3	Bekana Daba		ETH	13:11.78				[13:11.778]
4	Galen Rupp		USA	13:14.21
5	Markos Geneti		ETH	13:18.64
6	Shadrack Korir		KEN	13:26.82
7	Josphat Boit		KEN	13:27.42
8	Bobby Curtis		USA	13:36.00
9	Haron Lagat		KEN	13:36.59
10	Scott Overall		GBR	13:47.09
DNF	Reid Coolsaet		CAN
DNF	Ian Burrell		USA
DNF	Adam Perkins		USA
DNF	Kyle Miller		USA

Galen Rupp's year old American record of 13:18.12

It was fun while it lasted

 

 

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