Lagat sets American 5K road record at Carlsbad

Lagat sets American 5K road record at Carlsbad

Published Mar. 30, 2014 4:42 p.m. ET

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Bernard Lagat has set the American 5,000-meter road record by clocking 13 minutes, 19 seconds in the Carlsbad 5000.

Lagat finished second Sunday after Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia pulled away with 300 meters left. Gebremeskel won his fourth straight Carlsbad 5000 in 13:13.

Lagat's time originally was announced as 13:18. Race officials later said that the official USA Track & Field timers had Lagat's time as 13:18.44, which rounds up to 13:19, which will be the time submitted for record ratification.

Lagat broke Mark Davis' mark of 13:24, set in the Carlsbad 5000 in 1996.

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Lagat, a four-time Olympian and holder of five American middle-distance records, was competing in is his first 5K road race.

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