He said he was running a couple of races in Europe but didn’t say which ones. Would LRC implode if Nico Young steals the show and breaks the WR instead of one of the Ethiopians?
Graham ran 12:59 @ BU six months back in December.
Nico ran 12:51 @ BU three months back in March.
On condition they don't go crazy attempting to stay with the leaders running WR pace then have to crawl to the finish line, a new outdoor AR (something around 12:45) for Nico, with Graham about 10 seconds back in a new pb, might be achievable given perfect weather and groups to race with.
To be fair. Those 5ks were VERY different. Nico drafted off Wildschutt the whole way and Graham ran solo the last 10 laps. And Nico was at altitude and didn’t ride his bike from his Harvard dorm.
Those indoor 5K's don't mean much in terms of translating to a relative outdoor time.
Yes! The guy who can't beat Nico Young and Parker Wolfe is going to break Grant Fisher's record.
They all had success against each other if you’re looking at those 3. Wolfe never beat blanks until the ncaa and trials. This was after blanks was injured. Nico couldn’t beat blanks in xc. Nico figured something out and indoor 2024 and seemed unbeatable. This was right after blanks seemed unbeatable. And then Wolfe had his turn. It runs in cycles and will see how it plays out once these two are out of college and are able to train as pros full time. And at altitude. Good times ahead for USA men’s distance.
Yes! The guy who can't beat Nico Young and Parker Wolfe is going to break Grant Fisher's record.
They all had success against each other if you’re looking at those 3. Wolfe never beat blanks until the ncaa and trials. This was after blanks was injured. Nico couldn’t beat blanks in xc. Nico figured something out and indoor 2024 and seemed unbeatable. This was right after blanks seemed unbeatable. And then Wolfe had his turn. It runs in cycles and will see how it plays out once these two are out of college and are able to train as pros full time. And at altitude. Good times ahead for USA men’s distance.
I think with Wolfe injured and Nico looking like he may have leveled up, Blanks looks like he’s probably the US’s third-best 5k guy right now, though Gilman beat him handily this weekend. Either way, I think an AR from *anyone* at Oslo is unlikely, because the race is set up to go for the WR, and 12:46 may well be no man’s land in that field. You’d have a much better shot at a race set up for that pacing, with pacers and lights set up for that target.
It wasn’t that bad, or at least it wasn’t that telling. He bungled the tactics a little, making a couple surges that he didn’t commit to and then had to settle back into a lesser position, and closed in 2:22 for the last K. I’m sure he was disappointed, as he should have been, but he may have fared better in a <7:40 race or even if he just had a chance to rerun it. Point is, one subpar race doesn’t warrant labeling him a “workout warrior” when he’s an Olympic finalist, 2x NCAA XC champ and has a high rate of delivering (see 12:59-7:29-26:57 this winter/spring).
Having said that, no, I don’t think he has any shot at the 5k AR in Oslo. It’s a different beast to run well in a DL race paced to the WR than at BU in a race set up for you, so a PB of any kind would be great, even if he is in low-12:50s shape.
Well-said but the 26:57 kinda reveals it. He got beat pretty handily by Wildschuut, the New Mexico boys etc. Graham is tough as nails and really good but there’s no reason to believe he’s closer to Yomif/Aregawi than Ky Robinson or Cooper Teare. He should run his own race and try to bang home a sub-60 lap to run under 12:55.
Not saying you're completely wrong, but Blanks led a large portion if that 10k. Probably not enough to get him the win if he didn't lead, but he would've done much better in that 10k.
About to say - did this poster not watch the Grand Slam? He is coming into form, but he didn't look very sharp. He would be good to get under 13 minutes.
It wasn’t that bad, or at least it wasn’t that telling. He bungled the tactics a little, making a couple surges that he didn’t commit to and then had to settle back into a lesser position, and closed in 2:22 for the last K. I’m sure he was disappointed, as he should have been, but he may have fared better in a <7:40 race or even if he just had a chance to rerun it. Point is, one subpar race doesn’t warrant labeling him a “workout warrior” when he’s an Olympic finalist, 2x NCAA XC champ and has a high rate of delivering (see 12:59-7:29-26:57 this winter/spring).
Having said that, no, I don’t think he has any shot at the 5k AR in Oslo. It’s a different beast to run well in a DL race paced to the WR than at BU in a race set up for you, so a PB of any kind would be great, even if he is in low-12:50s shape.
Well-said but the 26:57 kinda reveals it. He got beat pretty handily by Wildschuut, the New Mexico boys etc. Graham is tough as nails and really good but there’s no reason to believe he’s closer to Yomif/Aregawi than Ky Robinson or Cooper Teare. He should run his own race and try to bang home a sub-60 lap to run under 12:55.
I agree. 12:55 or slightly under is his potential right now.
Low-12:50s would be great for him, and it's where I'd slot him.
Yep!
Graham has an amazing future ahead of him, he's just out of school and is adjusting to the professional runner life. I'd give him a couple years of hard training and maturing, and then see where he's at. He needs to develop the endurance and leg speed to run a sub 12:50 5k, and I think he's more than capable to do so, but not now. Low 12:50's is definitely in the cards this season, he just needs a fast race to sit in and go along for the ride. Don't think about time, just go with the pace (be smart), and run hard.
I don’t think he’ll be close but I’d love for him to try to stick on the pace. If you’re gonna race the big dogs, may as well race them instead of running your own race. You can run your own race anywhere.
If he’s really in about 12:55 shape, like some posters have suggested, trying to run 12:35 pace will end up with him running north of 13:00.
US 5k runners with a better chance to break the record:
Fisher
Abdi Nur
Parker Wolfe
Young
Strand
Nuguse
crazy list. Abdi Nur has to break 13 first. Nuguse? You think he can hop in a few 5ks after not touching one for a while and run the AR. Young maybe, Fisher definitely.
About to say - did this poster not watch the Grand Slam? He is coming into form, but he didn't look very sharp. He would be good to get under 13 minutes.
Agreed. He looked soft. Another four weeks he'll be in top form.
About to say - did this poster not watch the Grand Slam? He is coming into form, but he didn't look very sharp. He would be good to get under 13 minutes.
Agreed. He looked soft. Another four weeks he'll be in top form.
Blanks is tough. Remember he made the Olympic final last year in the 5K after being hurt all winter. This year, he’s healthy and has already run 7:29, 12:59 and 26:57. Yes, he looked rusty in the sit and kick 8:01 race, but in a paced, hard 5K, I think he hangs on. We will see.
Hope that he and Young are both in Oslo.
It’s a real shame Jingy is hurt. The 5K field is insane and the WR and AR will both be there for the taking.