Records Abound In Rieti

Rudisha breaks 800-meter world record again; Lagat gets U.S. 3,000-meter mark.

Wilson Kipketer’s 800-meter world record of 1:41.11 stood for 13 years until it was broken last Sunday by Kenyan David Rudisha, who ran 1:41.09 to win big in Berlin. Rudisha wasted no time in making his own record a thing of the past, however, eclipsing his week-old mark by eight one-hundredths of a second to break the tape in 1:41.01 at the IAAF World Challenge in Rieti on Sunday.

Rudisha, who won last week’s race by three seconds, was not completely alone in his most recent record run. Following the rabbit through an opening 400 meters of 48.2 seconds, Rudisha didn’t take the lead until just before 600 meters, which he hit in 1:14.59. He held his lead all the way through the tape to secure his second win and second world record in as many weeks. He was followed by his countryman Boaz Lalang, who finished second in a personal best 1:42.95. American Nick Symmonds ran an impressive race to finish third in 1:43.76, also a personal best.

In other action in Italy on Sunday, American Bernard Lagat finished second in a stacked men’s 3,000 meters, running 7:29.00 to break Bob Kennedy’s American Record of 7:30.84 set in 1998. It was the second American Record this season for Lagat, who broke the 5,000-meter mark in June with a 12:54.12 clocking in Oslo. Ethiopian Tariku Bekele won Sunday’s race in Rieti, crossing the finish line in world-leading time of 7:28.70. American Chris Solinsky, the American Record holder in the 10,000 meters who has broken 13 minutes for 5,000 meters three times this season, finished fifth in a personal best 7:34.32.

For Complete Results: Rieti Meeting