January 31, 2008

By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com

Born in Kenya, Bernard Lagat became an American citizen in 2004. Last year, racing at the world track and field championships in Osaka, Japan, he became the first man ever to win the 1,500-meter/5,000-meter middle-distance double at the world outdoor championships, and the first American to win a world championship medal of any kind in the 5,000m. He and his wife, Gladys, have one son, two-year-old Miika.

Q: So you defended your title in the 1,500 at the Norwich Union International meet in Glasgow, Scotland, last week. Are you simply running well – or running well for this point early in the season?

A: I think I'm running well. These are the first months of 2008. My training is going well. I'm in good shape. It's where I want to be.

The first feelings I have – when I run a race and feel good about it, that's what I look for.

Q: The obvious next question. Craig Mottram of Australia ran the fastest 3,000 meters ever on American soil Saturday night in Boston. Since the two of you are due to race Friday in the Wanamaker Mile, at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden – did his performance catch your attention? Do you pay attention to your competitors?

A: I have to. That is my sport. That is where I have my passion, track and field. I always like to see other people run. I watched the race on television. But even before I watched him on TV, people had already told me, Craig Mottram had run a great race.