Bernard "Kip" Lagat after finishing second at the NYRR 5th Avenue Mile in 2012. (Photo by Arun Kristian Das)
NEW YORK (MYFOXNY) -
Four-time Olympian Bernard "Kip" Lagat will run farther than he's ever run in a race when he laces up for the NYC Half on March 17, 2013, the New York Road Runners announced.
Lagat represented his native Kenya at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and the United States at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
"I'm excited to be running a half-marathon," Lagat said in a statement. "It's a big step up in distance, but I think I'll be well prepared. Of course, there's a bit of uncertainty, but that makes it exciting; the challenge is what really appeals to me."
Lagat, 38, has had a lot of success in New York City. He won the 2011 Fifth Avenue Mile and several Wanamaker Miles, and just last weekend reclaimed the American indoor record for a two-mile track race at the Millrose Games with a time of 8:09.49.
"We are simply thrilled to host Bernard Lagat, one of the greatest runners our sport has ever seen, in his debut at the half-marathon distance," NYRR CEO Mary Wittenberg said in a statement. "Bernard already has a storied history in New York City; he's inspired us with his dominance at the Wanamaker Mile and his perseverance at the Fifth Avenue Mile, racing year after year until he finally captured the crown.
Lagat has two Olympic medals in the 1,500-meter race: bronze at the Sydney Games in 2000 and silver in Athens in 2004. At the 2012 London Olympics, Lagat finished fourth in the 5,000-meter race.
At the 2012 5th Avenue Mile, Lagat, the defending champion, came in second to Matt Centrowitz.
The NYC Half is the Road Runners' flagship half-marathon. The race begins with one full loop of Central Park, heads south into Times Square, then shoots down the West Side Highway, and ends in Lower Manhattan.
"I'm really looking forward to the half-marathon next month," Lagat said. "I've been planning for it during all my training this season."
Saturday, May 18 2013 11:37 PM EDT2013-05-19 03:37:47 GMT
Lance Stephenson scored nine of his playoff career-high 23 points during a late 11-2 run Saturday night, leading the Indiana Pacers past the New York Knicks, 106-99 and into the Eastern Conference finals
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Saturday, May 18 2013 9:43 PM EDT2013-05-19 01:43:03 GMT
RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Sports Writer BALTIMORE (AP) — Right from the start, a horse trained by one not so over-the-hill Hall of Famer and ridden by another took control of the Preakness. The result:
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Saturday, May 18 2013 5:55 PM EDT2013-05-18 21:55:54 GMT
Robinson Cano hit a pair of two-run homers to back a solid effort by David Phelps, and New York beat the Toronto Blue Jays for the ninth straight time at Yankee Stadium, 7-2 Saturday.
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By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer Former U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi has died just 12 days after he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He was 82.
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Hiroki Kuroda pitched two-hit ball for eight dominant innings and the New York Yankees again beat Mark Buehrle and the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-0 on Friday night.
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Friday, May 17 2013 8:53 PM EDT2013-05-18 00:53:52 GMT
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has approved the master plan for the American Dream megamall in the Meadowlands sports complex. The approval at Friday's special board meeting means the
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Friday, May 17 2013 5:54 PM EDT2013-05-17 21:54:45 GMT
The big game will be played in New Jersey but the big party will be in New York City. Organizers call it "Super Bowl Boulevard."
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Bernard "Kip" Lagat after finishing second at the NYRR 5th Avenue Mile in 2012. (Photo by Arun Kristian Das)
