Bernard Lagat: End of an Era.

All of this is spot on. As I read the first few ridiculous but fairly expected posts, I was thinking "How can anyone not love the way Lagat displays his affection and pride for his/our country?"

Not to mention, regardless of people's personal theories, he is literally the nicest professional runner in history. This guy has literally been one of the most fun athletes to watch for over a decade.

Yet another Letsrun thread leaves me shaking my head.

row row rowbury your boat wrote:

I was thinking "How can anyone not love the way Lagat displays his affection and pride for his/our country?"

Not to mention, regardless of people's personal theories, he is literally the nicest professional runner in history. This guy has literally been one of the most fun athletes to watch for over a decade.

Yet another Letsrun thread leaves me shaking my head.

You can add Meb beside Lagat as one of the nicest American athletes. Interesting that they both show such strong affection for the US. Both born out of the country, but more American than most Americans. Native born Americans have no clue how well they have it.

I happen to know that poster TimeMarchesOn gained unfair typing strength and stamina from EPO. He must be a CHEATER...he couldn't possibly have posted such a fine LetsRun.com message without drug cheating. I heard it from Bernard.

Bernard Lagat is dad

Spaghettimonster wrote:

As for the B sample... Lagat probably took EPO while in Kenya. It's terrible, but in those days it was common. He's obviously not juicing now, EPO messes your body is in the long term, and he's very healthy compared to say El G.

Lagat has lived in the US since 1997, and if he had really taken rhEPO, it would have shown in his urine.

I saw El Guerrouj last year and he didn't seem unhealthy to me. He's heavier, but that's what usually happens when you stop training at a high level.

okay, a 3:26/7:29/12:53 guy with American Records at three major outdoor distances and who could have run 12:40 or better at his peak, based on his 12:59 with a 51 close to crush Bekele at his height, was taking spots from more deserving runners? How are you defining desert? By who would win a pie eating contest?

Nogat wrote:

douglas burke wrote:

He took spots from More Deserving runners?

Our Trials are as fair as can be, top 3 you go, if not top 3 you don't go.

He EARNED AND DESERVED his WC/Olympic spots.

For his native country kenya.

BUILD THE WALL, BUILD THE WALL,BUILD THE WALL

TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP!!!

amiright!

Douche.

row row rowbury your boat wrote:

All of this is spot on. As I read the first few ridiculous but fairly expected posts, I was thinking "How can anyone not love the way Lagat displays his affection and pride for his/our country?"

Umm....Bernard Lagat lied about being a US Citizen so he could run for Kenya in the 2004 Olympics.

Maybe Lagat is an absolute POS. Maybe he took drugs, lied about his citizenship and, well I think those are the two main grudges people seem to have.

What if the citizenship deal was so that he could still run even though technically he wouldn't have been able due to pendin paperwork?

We don't actually know any of these athletes the same way we don't know most anyone, not even really ourselves. With Lagat, at least he is nice, not just in interviews, but in how he interacts with other athletes. Also seems to love his family. And because it all looks so good on the surface, I can see where the true tendency to dislike him comes from. People want role models, sure, but sometimes people see someone for whom everything seems to be going right in life, and it pisses them off. They take it as a personal affront, as if this person even knows them or has anything to do with their plight or can have any knowledge of their less than ideal life. Instead they are living their life in its varying shades of perceived self-aware ideal.

Tl;dr just watch his beautiful stride and be satisfied.

TLW wrote:

row row rowbury your boat wrote:

All of this is spot on. As I read the first few ridiculous but fairly expected posts, I was thinking \"How can anyone not love the way Lagat displays his affection and pride for his/our country?\"

Umm....Bernard Lagat lied about being a US Citizen so he could run for Kenya in the 2004 Olympics.

NOPE.... The USA did not allow Lagat to compete internationally in 2004 after becoming a citizen in May of that year. He was allowed to compete for Kenya in the Olympics, much as Pappas and Torrence were run for other countries. Kenya considers him a Kenyan 2004 Olympian, and his 3:27.40 run in August 2004 counts towards as a Kenyan time, and not as an American time per the USATF, because it was set in an international race. In 2005 the USATF allowed times Lagat ran to count as American.

Any f**k-ups are owned by the USATF.

If he's really retiring, but all the best to you in your future endeavors, Bernard.

Thank you for being such a genuine guy, and for sharing your acheivements with the rest of us.

jjjjjj wrote:

okay, a 3:26/7:29/12:53 guy with American Records at three major outdoor distances and who could have run 12:40 or better at his peak, based on his 12:59 with a 51 close to crush Bekele at his height, was taking spots from more deserving runners? How are you defining desert? By who would win a pie eating contest?

Hot, barren, sandy, and hot.

motor boating wrote:

row row rowbury your boat wrote:

I was thinking "How can anyone not love the way Lagat displays his affection and pride for his/our country?"

Not to mention, regardless of people's personal theories, he is literally the nicest professional runner in history. This guy has literally been one of the most fun athletes to watch for over a decade.

Yet another Letsrun thread leaves me shaking my head.

You can add Meb beside Lagat as one of the nicest American athletes. Interesting that they both show such strong affection for the US. Both born out of the country, but more American than most Americans. Native born Americans have no clue how well they have it.

Isn't the truest love for America that could exist be to want to come from another country because you know this place will be better for you and your family? These guys exemplify that. They are honored to have had the opportunity to represent the US. I think they have earned our respect.

Jeff Wigand wrote:

Spaghettimonster wrote:

As for the B sample... Lagat probably took EPO while in Kenya. It's terrible, but in those days it was common. He's obviously not juicing now, EPO messes your body is in the long term, and he's very healthy compared to say El G.

Lagat has lived in the US since 1997, and if he had really taken rhEPO, it would have shown in his urine.

I saw El Guerrouj last year and he didn't seem unhealthy to me. He's heavier, but that's what usually happens when you stop training at a high level.

I've only heard anecdotal evidence about El G, about his blood and such causing him to pass out due to having a ridiculous amount of red blood cells. I don't know if I buy it. As for Lagat, I just know that we will never know the truth. I want to believe he is clean. I barely hold it against him if he did because it was most likely commonplace in that time.

Sandy and hot wrote:

jjjjjj wrote:

okay, a 3:26/7:29/12:53 guy with American Records at three major outdoor distances and who could have run 12:40 or better at his peak, based on his 12:59 with a 51 close to crush Bekele at his height, was taking spots from more deserving runners? How are you defining desert? By who would win a pie eating contest?

Hot, barren, sandy, and hot.

Spaghettimonster wrote:

I've only heard anecdotal evidence about El G, about his blood and such causing him to pass out due to having a ridiculous amount of red blood cells. I don't know if I buy it. As for Lagat, I just know that we will never know the truth. I want to believe he is clean. I barely hold it against him if he did because it was most likely commonplace in that time.

So, how has he managed since then to continue to perform at such a high level?

In terms passing out Farah has had those episodes. He gives the usual Mobot excuses. Probably has occurred more the the ones known about.

Geoffrey Mutai Wins As Mo Farah Falls Down and Later Passes Out

Mo Farah missed the Commonwealth Games after fainting in his bathroom.

That's a good question. It would seem to indicate that he was either:

a) always clean

b) has been doping all along.

I don't pretend to know which is true. It seems like every time one of these threads comes up, I feel differently about it. I just don't know.

As for Farah, I tend to think he microdoses while training in Ethiopia/Kenya. All evidence is circumstantial but if you want my honest opinion, I think Mo is more likely of a cheater than Lagat. THere's just been so many falsehoods over the years that I am starting to run out of excuses for Mo.

My dad was an NYPD officer. He ran the NYC Marathon with the retires NYPD team. (they start right behind the elites). Meb was hanging out and talking with the police/firefighters just minutes before the race. Meb is truly a class act. I don't have a personal experience like that wth lagat, but I believe that he is a class act as well. And both of them love my Country.