Elijah Lagat
- Born
- Jun 19, 1966 (60 years old)
- Birthplace
- Nandi County, Kenya
- Events
- Marathon · Half Marathon
- Height
- 1.72 m
- Weight
- 58 kg
Elijah Kiptarbei Lagat (19 June 1966 – 29 September 2025) was a Kenyan marathon runner and politician who was the winner of the 104th running of the Boston Marathon held in 2000.
He won in the closest finish in the race's history when he edged out Gezahegne Abera of Ethiopia and fellow Kenyan and previous year's champion, Moses Tanui.
Abera and Lagat were both clocked at 2 hours 9 minutes and 47 seconds while Tanui finished three seconds back. Lagat's win enabled the Kenyans to capture the individual men's Boston Marathon title for the 10th straight year. This is a record that still stands.
As of Oct 29, 2026: Marathon 2:07:41 (#643 all-time), Half Marathon 1:00:24 (#482 all-time), 2003 season best 9:11.7h (May 10, 2003, Eldoret (KEN)) · 60 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 3000mSt | 9:11.7h | – | May 10, 2003 | Eldoret (KEN) |
| 2002 | Semi | 1:03:14 | – | Mar 24, 2002 | Lisboa (POR) |
| 2001 | Semi | 1:03:51 | – | Mar 24, 2001 | Praha (CZE) |
| 2001 | Marathon | 2:12:25 | – | Oct 28, 2001 | Madrid (ESP) |
| 2000 | Semi | 1:04:41 | – | Mar 26, 2000 | Lisboa (POR) |
| 2000 | Marathon | 2:09:47 | – | Apr 17, 2000 | Boston Marathon |
| 1999 | Semi | 1:00:24 | – | Sep 26, 1999 | Grevenmacher (LUX) |
| 1999 | Marathon | 2:08:50 | – | Apr 4, 1999 | Paris (FRA) |