OSAKA — With three laps to go, it was anybody's race. Seven guys were within two strides of each other.

Down the back stretch, where champions are made and dreams are attained, it was a two-man race: Bernard Lagat vs. Eliud Kipchoge.

A master finisher, Lagat burst into a quicker gear over the final 110 meters to overtake Kipchoge and grab the gold medal in the thrilling final of the men's 5,000-meter race on Sunday at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Championships.