After a dawdling pace through 2600m, Bernard Lagat broke from the pack with about 250 metres to go to kick to a decisive victory in the 3000, the first track final of the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final.

The 1500 and 5000m winner at last year’s World Championships, Lagat reached the finish in 8:02.97.

"After the disappointing Olympics, I won all my races and wanted to win today so bad," Lagat said. "I am very excited that it worked although it was tough strategically."

Tactical and sluggish from the outset, Isaac Songok led the tightly knit pack through the first 1000m in 2:50.05 with Mike Kigen leading the field through the second kilometre in 5:36.98, with the race still entirely up for grabs.

Defending champion Edwin Soi, the Beijing 5000m bronze medallist, looked ready to pounce midway through the backstraight, but couldn’t respond adequately to Lagat’s move. Matt Tegenkamp, the 3000m winner in Zagreb, did however, and looked poised to complete a U.S 1-2 finish before Soi fought back to edge the American at the line by a scant 0.01 seconds in 8:03.55.

In the blanket finish Kigen was fourth in 8:03.63.

Bob Ramsak