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Tucson's Bernard Lagat Earns Fifth Trip To Olympics

(Photo by André Zehetbau - CC BY 2.0)
Record-holder Bernard Lagat qualified for the 5,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

A Tucson man is about to become the oldest U.S. runner ever to compete in the Olympic games.

Forty-one-year-old Bernard Lagat raced his way to Rio by winning the 5,000 meter race at the U.S. Track and Field Finals on Friday to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. This will be his fifth trip to the Olympics.

Lagat made his Olympic debut for Kenya at the 2000 Sydney games. He announced in 2005 that he'd become an American citizen, and represented the U.S. at the 2008 and 2012 in Beijing and London.

Lagat now lives in Tucson and trains at the University of Arizona. He said he'll bring his wife, son and daughter with him to Rio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Al Macias, former KJZZ news director, is part of an elite class of trusted, veteran journalists who have covered Arizona news for more than 30 years.