Lagat wins record eighth Wanamaker mile

American Bernard Lagat ran a blistering last quarter-mile to overtake Olympic 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop and win a record eighth Wanamaker Mile at the 103rd Millrose Games indoor meet on Friday.

Lagat burst past Kenya's Kiprop on the last lap to win in 3:56.34 and break his tie with Irishman Eamonn Coghlin for most victories in Madison Square Garden's mile race.

Kiprop clocked 3:58.03 to finish second, ahead of Britain's Andy Baddeley in 3:58.09.

After a victory lap before a cheering Garden crowd of 11,510, Lagat found Coghlin on the side of the track and gave him a warm embrace.

"He told me: 'If there was somebody I would wish to break my record it would be you. You are a true gentleman,'" Lagat told Reuters. "Those words really mean a lot to me and I really respect that."

Lagat, 35, who has won two Olympic medals and five at world championships including an unprecedented golden double in the 1,500m and 5,000m in 2007 in Osaka, said winning the race was among his greatest career achievements.

"To me, it's like winning the Olympics today. I've been here since 2001," he said about the Madison Square Garden meet. "I was signing autographs tonight from kids not even born yet then."

Hannah England of Britain won the women's mile, holding off late-charging American Sara Hall by two-hundredths of a second with a winning time of 4:31.48.