• Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home IAAF

Centrowitz and Lagat Share Special Bond entering NYRR Millrose Games, by Chris Lotsbom, RRW, used with permission

Larry EderbyLarry Eder
February 13, 2015
0
0 0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Press_Conf_Photo_Lotsbom.jpg

PHOTO: Athletes and officials gathered with school children at a press conference in advance of the 2015 NYRR Millrose Games.  Adults (from left to right): Mary Wittenberg, President & CEO of New York Road Runners; Cam Levins, Canadian Olympian; Matthew Centrowitz, two-time 1500m medalist at IAAF World Championships; Ashton Eaton, 2012 Olympic decathlon gold medalist; Mary Cain, 2014 IAAF World Junior 3000m champion; Brianne Theisen-Eaton, 2013 IAAF World Championships heptathlon silver medalist; Shannon Rowbury, 2009 IAAF World Championships 1500m bronze medalist; Sanya Richards-Ross, 4-time Olympic gold medalist; David Oliver, 2013 IAAF World Championships 110m hurdles gold medalist; Bernard Lagat, 8-time Wanamaker Mile champion; Ray Flynn, NYRR Millrose Games Meet Director; Dr. Norbert Sander, President of Armory Foundation (photo by Chris Lotsbom for Race Results Weekly), used with permission. 


Chris Lotsbom wrote this piece on the Millrose Games presser, one of the finest press conferences that I have ever attended. Here is Chris Lotsbom’s feature on the presser, and especially on the relationship between Matt Centrowtiz and Bernard Lagat. 


CENTROWITZ AND LAGAT SHARE SPECIAL BOND ENTERING NYRR MILLROSE GAMES
By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom
(c) 2015 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission. 

NEW YORK (12-Feb) — On the track, American miler Matthew Centrowitz wears an intimidating game face, eyes always focused forward above his Nike Oregon Project skull-emblazoned singlet. Away from the track, however, Centrowitz’s true personality shines bright, a playful and relaxed 25-year-old who, in front of a room full of media members, offers love advice to Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton and utters playful jabs at American record holder Bernard Lagat.

Of all the athletes appearing at today’s 108th NYRR Millrose Games press conference, Centrowitz appears most like Lagat, a fun-loving 40-year-old who has raced at four Olympics. While they may have been born more than a decade apart, the pair share a brotherly bond that has rapidly developed on and off the track since 2011.

At the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, Centrowitz approached Lagat for advice before a semi-final round of the 1500m. It was at that point that a connection blossomed, Lagat calming the college-aged runner and offering up a few tactical points. The advice clearly worked, as Centrowitz won his semi-final and eventually claimed a bronze medal in 3:36.08.

“When I first came onto the professional scene, I remember very well picking his mind on how I should run,”  Centrowitz recalled fondly, pausing to reflect on the time that has passed since 2011. “We’ve built up this nice relationship where it’s playful, we’re always joking with each other [off the track]… He’s just such a nice, humbling guy. It’s easy to get along with him.”

Since Lagat turned 40 on December 12 of last year, Centrowitz has teased his friend and mentor about being “over the hill.” Prior to last week’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix –where Lagat set a master’s world record for 3000m– the pair shared a memorable moment.

“I said, ‘you know, if you run 3:55 [at the NYRR Millrose Games] and get the world [master’s] record, and I run faster in 3:50, then you’re going to get more press,'” recalled Centrowitz. Lagat’s response to the statement was priceless, a friend putting his junior pal in place: “And I should!”

Since becoming an American citizen in 2005, Lagat has become the face of track and field in the United States, qualifying for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games and setting a plethora of American records from the 1500m to 5000m. Even more, he has become an ambassador of the sport to thousands of young athletes around the nation.

Centrowitz aspires to one day fill the void left when Lagat steps away from the sport, a tall order that likely will come after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“I realize that’s a big task to say. He obviously holds so many records and has been running for so long that he’s definitely a guy I emulate and would love to have a career like his,” Centrowitz told Race Results Weekly. “I look up to him.”

Lagat would be very proud passing the torch on to Centrowitz, who he has admired since the former was running at the University of Oregon.

“He is a gentleman and I like the way he is dedicated, the way he has trained with his coach, and the way he approaches races,” Lagat said. “He’s not one of those guys who you can see with a lot of nervousness or anything like that. He can still compose himself, crack jokes, and you can tell those are the people that will really succeed. He is going to have a lot of success in the future.”

On Saturday, the pair will face off in the NYRR Wannamaker Mile, seeking both the race title and a pair of records: Centrowitz thinks he is capable of re-writing Lagat’s American Indoor record in the discipline (3:49.89), while Lagat hopes to break Eamonn Coghlan’s Master’s Indoor Mile world record of 3:58.15, set in 1994.

“He is the guy I’ve always seen, since he was at Oregon, running as hard as possible,” Lagat said of his friend and competitor. “This is the guy, I knew, he was going to be the best professional.”

Centrowitz will have roughly 20 friends and family in the stands on Saturday, wearing Centrowitz-themed t-shirts. The thought ofracing his mentor in front of friends and family, with the very real possibility of an American record being set, brings a genuine grin to Centrowitz’s face.

“To win in a year when there’s such a deep field kind of solidifies how good of a runner and how well you run,” he said. “I always like to put on a good show and I’m not going to come out here and get my butt kicked or not be in good shape. I bring my ‘A’ game and want to compete well in front of my family and friends.”

Among those friends Centrowitz will try to not only impress, but also defeat: one Bernard Lagat.


RelatedPosts

Gyulai Istvan Memorial: McLaughlin goes 51.68, fastest 400m ever in Europe, 7 Meet Records!

Kipyegon 3:50.37 missed WR by 0.3 at Herculis EBS Meeting/Monaco DL

Monaco Diamond League, Meeting Herculis EBS, complete results, 10 August 2022

Author

  • Larry Eder

    Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself."

    View all posts

Previous Post

Q&A with Laura Roesler, the RunBlogRun Interview, by Sarah Barker

Next Post

Derrick, Thweatt Dominate USA Cross Country Championships, by David Monti, RRW, used with permission.

Larry Eder

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 50-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself."

Similar Post

World Championships Medalists Gotytom Gebreslase, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, and Hellen Obiri to Join Women’s Field at 2022 TCS New York City Marathon on November 6
World Marathon Majors

World Championships Medalists Gotytom Gebreslase, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, and Hellen Obiri to Join Women’s Field at 2022 TCS New York City Marathon on November 6

August 12, 2022
Gyulai Istvan Memorial: McLaughlin goes 51.68, fastest 400m ever in Europe, 7 Meet Records!
Continental Tour Gold

Gyulai Istvan Memorial: McLaughlin goes 51.68, fastest 400m ever in Europe, 7 Meet Records!

August 12, 2022
The amazing duel between Eilish McColgan and Irene Cheptai in the women’s 10,000m final
Cross Country

2022 RunBlogRun Summer Cross Country Mileage Program, Week Six, Day Five

August 12, 2022
Monaco Diamond League, Meeting Herculis EBS, complete results,  10 August 2022
Track & Field

Kipyegon 3:50.37 missed WR by 0.3 at Herculis EBS Meeting/Monaco DL

August 12, 2022
Monaco Diamond League, Meeting Herculis EBS, complete results,  10 August 2022
Track & Field

Monaco Diamond League, Meeting Herculis EBS, complete results, 10 August 2022

August 12, 2022
UK ATHLETICS LINES UP THRILLING LONDON STADIUM RETURN IN JULY 2023
British Athletics

UK ATHLETICS LINES UP THRILLING LONDON STADIUM RETURN IN JULY 2023

August 12, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to RunBlogRun's Global News Feed

Wake up to RunBlogRun’s news in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you informed about the Sport you love.

*we hate spam as much as you do

Recent Stories

Track & Field

Zuzana Hejnova to compete in Doha DL over 400m hurdles, from EME News (source:IAAF)

by Alfonz Juck
April 4, 2022
0

Zuzana Hejnova, photo by PhotoRun.net Hejnova opens in DohaDOHA (QAT): World 200m champion Dafne Schippers will go head-to-head with world...

Zuzana Hejnova runs 38.16 All time best for 300m hurdles, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

April 4, 2022

Zurich’s Grand Venue: Letzigrund Stadium Inspires Exceptional Performances

April 4, 2022

Zurich Weltklasse, the Olympics in One Night, by Bob Ramsak, Notes by Larry Eder

June 23, 2022

Recent Tweets

RunBlogRun Follow

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. RunBlogRun is the voice of the sport.

RunBlogRun
runblogrun RunBlogRun @runblogrun ·
3h

2022 RunBlogRun Summer Cross Country Mileage Program, Week Six, Day Five , by RunBlogRun, ...https://www.runblogrun.com/2022/08/2022-runblogrun-summer-cross-country-mileage-program-week-six-day-five.html , #crosscountry, #trainingtips, #scottishathletics, #eilishmccolgan, @EilishMccolgan, @ASICSEurope,

Reply on Twitter 1558150289122725893 Retweet on Twitter 1558150289122725893 Like on Twitter 1558150289122725893 Twitter 1558150289122725893
runblogrun RunBlogRun @runblogrun ·
4h

Really liked this tweet. @EilishMccolgan took two medals at the #commonwealthgames2022. Her first in the 10,000m was gold, and her second was in the 5,000m with a silver! This was her 4th CG games! ...@birmingham2022, @ASICSeurope

Team Scotland @Team_Scotland

GOLD! 🥇

What a run from Eilish McColgan to win the Commonwealth Games 10,000m title 32 years after her mum! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

And a Games record too!!!

#TeamScot #TimeForHeroes
...#B2022

Reply on Twitter 1558142734199754752 Retweet on Twitter 1558142734199754752 Like on Twitter 1558142734199754752 1 Twitter 1558142734199754752
runblogrun RunBlogRun @runblogrun ·
5h

Repost: BROOKS: Marathon season is almost here. Get the workout ideas, training plans, tips, and everything else you need to hit your goals at our Run Happy blog. https://bit.ly/3pkX1nK,
#runhappy, ...#brooksrunning,

Reply on Twitter 1558128422676828166 Retweet on Twitter 1558128422676828166 Like on Twitter 1558128422676828166 Twitter 1558128422676828166
runblogrun RunBlogRun @runblogrun ·
6h

Time for #coffeewithLarry! Don't miss it! 8.30 AM Pacific! #europeanathletics, #trackandfieldlife,

Reply on Twitter 1558113171906277383 Retweet on Twitter 1558113171906277383 Like on Twitter 1558113171906277383 3 Twitter 1558113171906277383
runblogrun RunBlogRun @runblogrun ·
17h

Marie-Josee Ta Lou’s perseverance in a difficult season gets rewarded with an African Record, by Deji Ogeyingbo, ...https://www.runblogrun.com/2022/08/marie-josee-ta-lous-perseverance-in-difficult-season-gets-rewarded-with-an-african-record.html , #mariejoseetalou, #IvoryCoast, #CotedIvoire, #athleticsafrica,
@deji_oges, #WCHOregon22, #100meters, #200meters,

Reply on Twitter 1557943782007443456 Retweet on Twitter 1557943782007443456 Like on Twitter 1557943782007443456 4 Twitter 1557943782007443456
Load More...
Next Post

Derrick, Thweatt Dominate USA Cross Country Championships, by David Monti, RRW, used with permission.

runblogrun

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. @runblogrun

Browse by Category

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Select a password for yourself. (minimum length of 8)

Paste here the user biography.

Provide here the twitter screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the instagram screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the facebook profile URL. i.e. http://www.facebook.com/RunBlogRun

Provide here the linkedin profile URL. i.e. https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-eder-5497253

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist