Olympian Lagat: Running Manchester Road Race An Easy Choice

MANCHESTER, CT — Elite runner Bernard Lagat on Monday said it was an easy decision to commit to his first appearance in the Manchester Road race this year because of the history, pageantry and the competitiveness.

"You know ... when I get invitations to races, I tend to look at the history and what makes the race good," he said at the annual pre-race Earl Yost news conference at Manchester Country Club. "And, to me, there was no option."

Lagat arrived in Manchester on Sunday night to make his final preparations for the Thanksgiving morning 4.748-mile race. He will compete in a talent-laden field of other elite athletes who are coming to Manchester from around the globe.

Lagat, 42, is a five-time Olympian who won the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2000
Sydney Olympic Games and was the silver medalist in that event at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Lagat has won four world championships and holds several American distance records. His 1,500-meter time of 3:26.34 is the second fastest time ever run for that distance.

The 81st Manchester Road Race will start at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). The
race starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church.

Lagat said a stacked field was another incentive.

Another Olympic medalist, Paul Chelimo, who placed fourth at last year's Manchester Road Race with a time of 21:36 is in the field. Chelimo, 26, is a member of the United States Army's World Class Athlete Program. He won the silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was the bronze medalist in that event last summer at the World Championships in London.

Also expected to be among the lead pack in the men's division are 2015 MRR Champion Will
Geoghegan, two-time U.S. Olympic steeplechase runner Donn Cabral of Glastonbury, Jamaican Olympian Kemoy Campbell, Australian Olympic runner Sam McEntee, last year's third-place finisher Chris Thompson of Great Britain and Olympian Hassan Mead.

Mead, Lagat and Chelimo competed against each other in the 5,000-meter final at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"I looked at the history and then I looked at the field. These are guys I compete against," Lagat said. "Then, I figured, it would be nice to win."

Coming to Manchester also represents the first trip to Connecticut for Lagat. He said he made some calls about the unpredictable November weather, but wound up traveling with the "biggest bag ever seen."

He also received so me tongue-in-cheek advice about the hill deep into the course.

"Oh yes, I was told it is perfect for a 1,500-meters runner — just go ... ," Lagat said with an eye roll.

He began seeking real advice for runners at the news conference and planned to test the course on Monday afternoon.

"I am really looking forward to Thursday," he said. "And after the race, I will enjoy some turkey somewhere."

For race information, go to www.manchesterroadrace.com.

Photo: Bernard Lagat at the 2017 Manchester Road Race Earl Yost News Conference. Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel