Bernard Lagat labels Jakob Ingebrigtsen's 3,000 Metres World Record as 'wild'

Norwegian middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen stunned the world on Sunday at the Silesia stage of the 2024 Diamond League by clocking 7:17.55 to win the men's 3,000 metres race, breaking Daniel Komen's world record of 7:20.67. Komen’s record had stood unchallenged for an impressive 27 years, making Ingebrigtsen's feat one of the most remarkable moments in recent athletics history.

Komen set the previous world record in the event on September 1, 1996, in Rieti, Italy, after shattering the Algerian Nourredine Morceli's time of 7:25.11, which had stood for just two years. Before Ingebrigtsen's stunning performance, the only athlete who had come close to breaking Komen's record was Moroccan athletics legend Hicham El Guerrouj, who ran 7:23.09 in Brussels, Belgium, on September 3, 1999.

Komen’s record was long considered one of the most elusive in athletics. At one point, the Kenyan legend even promised to gift a Mercedes Benz to any athlete who could break his record, a testament to how unbeatable the time seemed. Now, with Ingebrigtsen’s astonishing achievement, it remains to be seen if Komen will keep his promise as discussions about the record-breaking run continue to gain momentum.

Former Kenyan-born American athlete Bernard Lagat is among those who have joined the conversation, offering high praise for the Norwegian’s incredible accomplishment. Lagat, who competed in the 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres, described Ingebrigtsen's record-breaking exploits as "wild."

Drawing on his extensive experience as a 1,500 metres athlete and acknowledging the supremacy of El Guerrouj, Lagat stated that he had always believed the 3,000 metres world record was harder to break than the 1,500 metres world record. The 1,500 metres record is still held by El Guerrouj, who set it on July 14, 1998, when he ran 3:26.00 at the Rome Olympic Stadium in Italy.

Hear this from a 1500m (3:26.34) dude. I’ve always maintained that the 3000m_WR of 7:20.67 is the HARDEST WR to break. In my opinion- It’s harder than the 1500m_WR | no disrespect to my dear brother, Hicham 🙌🏾

Jakob’s 7:17.55 is WILD!! https://t.co/NmPhIn3KQW

— Bernard Lagat OLY (@Lagat1500) August 25, 2024

El Guerrouj holds the two fastest times in the 1,500 metres event, having also run 3:26.12 in Brussels, Belgium, on August 24, 2001. In that same race, Lagat finished second with a time of 3:26.34, making him the only athlete who has come closest to breaking El Guerrouj's record. Ingebrigtsen's best time in the 1,500 metres is 3:26.73, which he clocked on July 12, 2024, when he won the event at the Monaco stage of the 2024 Diamond League.

The Norwegian boasts an impressive athletics career, having won gold medals at the Olympic Games in the 1,500 metres (Tokyo 2020) and 5,000 metres (Paris 2024). He is also the reigning double world champion in the men's 5,000 metres and has secured silver in the 1,500 metres at the last two editions of the World Athletics Championships. Additionally, Ingebrigtsen holds the world record in the men's 2,000 metres, which he set in Brussels last year by running 4:43.13.

With Komen's long-standing record now behind him, it seems plausible that Ingebrigtsen's next mission will be to break Hicham El Guerrouj's record in the 1,500 metres. The world eagerly anticipates whether this Norwegian sensation will conquer yet another seemingly insurmountable milestone.