Bernard Lagat Shatters Masters World Record

Press Release

CARLSBAD, Calif. – March 29, 2015 – The Carlsbad 5000, known as the “World’s Fastest 5K,” lived up to its name on Sunday. Kenya’s Lawi Lalang was the overall winner at the 30th edition on a picturesque Southern California day. With surfers enjoying the swell as a back drop, the 23-year-old cranked out an average-per-mile pace of 4 minutes, 22 seconds to break the finish-line tape at State Street and Carlsbad Village Drive in 13 minutes, 32 seconds. Lalang was a standout runner at the University of Arizona where he garnered numerous NCAA titles. Lalang prevailed over runner-up, Wilson Too (also from Kenya), by three seconds. Third place was earned by multi-Olympic and World Championship medalist Bernard Lagat who ran 13:41. 

Lagat, who is 40 years old, was the top American in Sunday’s race, but also shattered the Masters world record by 14 seconds in Carlsbad. “Running this fast at 40, it not bad at all,” he said afterwards with a chuckle. “I wanted the big one [Marc Davis’American road record of 13:24]. I was hoping to go out a bit faster, but for some reason it didn’t happen today.” Lagat said that the additional turns on the new course didn’t faze him at all. “Instead, we had a bit of wind today and it was a little hot. The course was really nice. It was excellent. The fans are everywhere and they really helped me a lot in the last quarter mile.”

The women’s race proved to be much more of a decisive affair with Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba breaking the tape in 14:48—a full 25 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Gelete Burka (15:13). Wude Yimer of Ethiopia was third in 15:18. After a relatively slow first mile, Dibaba broke away from the lead pack with her sights aimed at the 5K world record. Despite her strong efforts in the final two miles, Dibaba fell short of the world mark by two seconds, but did produce the third fastest women’s 5K performance of all-time.

“It was fast running for me today,” Dibaba said through a translator. “But I did not go out fast enough.” Dibaba, 24, is coming off an incredible indoor season this year where she clocked a 14:18.86 world record indoors. “I wasn’t looking at the times or my splits until the last minute.” The Carlsbad 5000 was only Dibaba’s second road race of her career. 

The top American woman in Carlsbad was 28-year-old Sarah Brown of Solana Beach, California. Brown’s time was 15:48 and good for eighth place.

The Masters races, 40 and older, were won by Greg Mitchell, 41, McMinnville, OR, and Marilyn Arsenault, 47, Canada, in 14:58 and 17:30, respectively. Oceanside’s Anne Garrett, 80, set an age group (80-84) world record with her 28:37.

More than 10,000 runners took part in this incredibly scenic race, which takes place in the downtown district of Carlsbad. Waiting for them at the end was a massive “party by the sea” that included a beer garden for those of age to imbibe on two aptly named free beers brewed by Pizza Port, the Full Sprint IPA and the Cool Down Lager.

30th Carlsbad 5000 Results 

Carlsbad, CA, Sunday, March 29, 2015

Name, Age, Country, Time, Prize 

Elite Men

1.  Lawi Lalang, 23, Kenya, 13:32, $5,000

2. Wilson Too, 24, Kenya, 13:35, $3,500

3. Bernard Lagat, 40, USA, 13:41#, $7,000*

4. Sam Chelanga, 30, Kenya, 13:50, $1,000

5. Joseph Kitur, 26, Kenya, 13:53, $800

6. Diego Estrada, 25, USA, 13:56, $3700*

7. Haron Lagat, 31, Kenya, 13:59, $500

8. Ben St. Lawrence, 33, Australia, 14:11, $400

9. Dan Lowry, 25, USA, 14:13, $2800*

10. Andy Vernon, 28, Great Britain, 14:13, $200

12. Ben Bruce, 32, USA, 14:15, $1000*

15. Ethan Shaw, 25, USA, 14:29, $750*

#Masters world record (previous, 13:55, John Campbell (NZL), Edison Festival of Lights, FL, o2/16/91)

Elite Women

1.  Genzebe Dibaba, 24, Ethiopia, 14:48, $5,000

2. Gelete Burka, 30, Ethiopia, 15:13, $3,500

3. Wude Yimer, 27, Ethiopia, 15:18, $2,000

4. Susan Kuijken, 28, The Netherlands, 15:28, $1,000

5. Betsy Saina, 26, Kenya, 15:31, $800

6. Jessica O’Connell, 26, Canada, 15:36, $700

7. Miyuki Uehara, Japan, 19, 15:40, $500

8. Sarah Brown, 28, USA, 15:48, $5400*

9. Morgan Uceny, 30, USA, 15:52, $3300*

10. Juliet Bottorff, 24, USA, 15:59, $2700*

12. Deena Kastor, 42, USA, 16:05, $1000*

13. Katie Matthews, 24, USA, 16:07, $750*

16. Sarah Pagano, 23, USA, 16:39, $500*