courtesy of RunnersWorld"Coach Li told me in the warm-up area here 'make sure you run smart, make sure you run faster towards the end, especially the last two laps,'" Lagat explained after his eighth Wanamaker win. "Kiprop took it (out hard early) and I was waiting. I was going to take it myself, but then when he took it, it was a comfortable pace, and I thought 'okay, let me do as my coach said, just wait until the last two laps.'"
With about a lap and a half to go, he (Kiprop) had a good stride or maybe a little bit more than a stride on you. We were a little bit worried. Were you worried?
Bernard Lagat: No, I wasn't, because it looks different outside (of the race), but then inside the race, I was feeling really comfortable.
What did you think of the fractions (the splits)? Were you hearing the fractions?
BL: No, I heard one from James Templeton (Lagat's agent), 57 (for the quarter-mile), but that's all I heard.
You looked over your shoulder a couple of times at Andy (Baddeley, who was third in 3:58.03). Were you worried about him coming from behind?
BL: Yes. Andy's a guy that has speed. And if you guys remember, last September he passed me to win the road mile here on Fifth Avenue. And so I was worried, especially (since) the guy has already run 3:55 (Baddeley won at the Armory in New York in that time six days before Millrose). But then again I knew that running 3:55 on that other track there compared to this one was going to be different. It was not going to feel exactly the same. But I knew he was capable of running fast towards the end.
Did you think you would get ahead (of Kiprop) so quickly with one move like that?
BL: It's just that speed that I've been working on, and I knew exactly when to make a move. I wasn't going to wait until the bell (one 145-meter lap to go) to make that move, but I wanted to make it even a little earlier than I made today. But I was happy with that. I increased the pace as I went through the two corners, and I knew by the time I turned back, the victory was mine, and I was really happy with that.
Were you surprised there wasn't much of an answer (from Kiprop)?
BL: I thought Kiprop was going to respond, actually, because he's used to responding that quick. But then maybe I took off a little too fast, and by the time he was trying to cover the ground, it was already a little too late.... I looked back and I was really clear and I just went for the win.
Do you think you'll come back for #9 (a ninth Wanamaker Mile win) and can you talk about your transition to the five (the 5000 meters outdoors)?
BL: If the opportunity comes, I would really welcome it, I would love to come back to New York. It's been a place that I always have fun (in). You can see the fans stay until that last event. That means a lot to me. They never quit, they never said "oh, it's too late, we've got to go home," but they waited for the Wanamaker Mile, and that is really special to me.... If I get that opportunity to come again next year.
I've been training now for the five (5000). It's just only a matter of three weeks ago when I started going to the track. Otherwise, I've been doing the long distance stuff, I've been doing the long tempo runs. Again, I always like to talk about Abdi (Abdirahman). I run with Abdi all the time now. He likes to take it hard - ten miles, 13, even 14 miles, I always hang with him. So my coach now is preparing me for a summer that I can do the 5k and I feel like my body's responding to the distance. So that's why I wanted to try this indoor, but not losing that speed that I needed tonight. I think everything is going to a plan. But I'd like to try something different this indoor (season), I'm going to run a 5k (in Boston).
We asked you earlier in the week about going for an American indoor 5000 record in Boston (Galen Rupp has the record of 13:18.12). Based on the kind of speed you had here and this performance you had tonight, do you think sub-13:18 is something you can do.
BL: Feeling so comfortable in this race, you brought it up, so I'm going to say it is possible now to do under 13:18. I'm not going to hang here in the East, it's a little cold for me. I'm used to Arizona. So I'm going back to Tucson, train again just for a few days, and try and get that last preparation before Boston.
Did you get a chance tonight to see Boaz's race (Boaz Lalang, Lagat's other training partner, won the 800 at Millrose)?
BL: No, I did not. When I was looking to my coach, he told me "Boaz ran and he won." I thought "whoa, that's really good." Boaz is training with me now in Tucson, so I will be benefiting because he's an 800-meter runner, he's strong, and I'll be benefiting from Abdi, and they'll be benefiting, too. So it is perfect training.
With all your accomplishments of your career - World titles, multiple records, two Olympic medals - where does winning the eighth Wanamaker Mile rank?
BL: It ranks among the top. To me its like winning an Olympic medal today. Because, if you think about it, I've been here since 2001. I was signing autographs for kids that I'm sure in 2001, they were not even born.... Back then, I was running here, I didn't even know the track very well. I didn't know New York, I was here for the first time. And I've had this love for the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games. So this is special. It ranks among the top.
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