Grant Fisher's "Summer of PRs" Project

Sometime this year, WA will publish it's qualifying standards for the 2027 Bejing WCs.

Assuming the trend continues, the 10,000 Q may stay at 27:00 or be slightly faster. Also expect the qualifying window to extend back 18 months as before, thus including The TEN just concluded.

Mohamed Abdilaahi/GER & Ky Robinson/AUS will look like geniuses if the standard is 26:58 or slower, as they will then have their Qs thus no need to chase it again next year.

However, for most everyone else in the world -- including Grant, Nico and Graham -- they won't have their Qs unless they achieve it a currently unannounced time-trial 10,000 race in the works for later this year.

So, in 2027, Sound Running's The TEN will be a monster. Maybe few Ethiopians or Kenyans enter as their WCs race will likely be Hengelo and Pre, respectively. However, the rest of the world will descend upon San Juan Capistrano en masse.

Note: next year's The TEN should also fall within the qualifying window for the '28 LA Olympics, giving the meet even more luster and importance.

With that kind of field, along with not having raced a 10,000 in a year or more, it is very conceivable that Grant, Nico and Graham will request a pacer for around 26:30. Grant, in particular, since he is so good at achieving records during the indoor time-trialing season, with The TEN being the capstone to his indoor season.

If this actually all plays out, then the question becomes, when does Grant race his next half marathon? A few weeks after The TEN? Later in the year? Or, does he put his plans for a road running career on the back burner until after 2028?

Regarding Grant's 26:33 being "safe," consider: Nico & Graham broke 13/5000 far earlier than Grant did. Nico is now the outdoor AR holder who possesses a kick which may be superior to Grant's. In my book, all three just need the opportunity.

Finally, a comment was made in an earlier post regarding Grant -- and by logical extension, Nico & Graham as well -- not having a chance to come close to breaking Cheptegei's 12:35/5000 WR, possibly not ever breaking 12:40. The comment was written as an absolute, as if the poster was in possession of privileged knowledge of the future.

Rather than responding in a similar cynical fashion, I only request anyone interested in this topic to review the top-25 names on the all-time list, below . . .

worldathletics.org

5000 Metres - men - senior - all

Open link

. . . then explain to the world why a 32-year-old Hagos Gebrhiwet can come with 1.4 seconds of breaking the WR, while twenty-somethings Fisher, Young and Blanks cannot.

people already calling it “summer of grant” like it’s guaranteed lol, dude still has to actually deliver under pressure, paris 5k WR talk is cool but that field is gonna be stacked and pacing has to be perfect, one small miss and it’s gone. also jumping between 1500, 5k and even 2 mile sounds exciting but that can mess with rhythm if not timed right. if anything oslo feels like the real test run, not the main show.

What is clear is that a 3:48:29 miler's best race is not the half marathon.

Kejelcha ran 3:47...

Kipchoge ran 3:50 back in the day too without really focusing on the event, and Bekele would've been sub 3:50 as well if he cared to try.

WR attempt? Why are you posting an April Fools on March 30th.? In what world is Grant Fisher an outdoor world record holder? The guy just got 14th at the NYC Half and you are talking about him breaking the 5000 WR early in the outdoor season? No.

Please admit you a PR consultant paid by the podcasters to promote the show on our forum. If not, you need to get your brain checked for a lack of logic.

But you aren't the only one with some HORRIBLE takes on here. I mean HORRIBLE

Am I living in an alternative universe?

In what world would a guy who didn't win a US title last year (got beat in both the 5k and 10k), then failed to medal at Worlds (8th in both) and now has just finished 14th at the NYC half be talked about as a world record holder this summer?

Not a real one w/o PEDs.

Please STOP.

The odds of that being true are much less likely than 2024 looking like a classic case of "you move to a new coach/stimulus, you get a big boost" but good luck after that.

Kudos to Grant and Mike for 2024. They did it. Not one medal. But two. In the Olympics. Unreal.

But everything since that 3:48 mile at Pre last year has pretty much been a disappointment - USAs, Worlds, NYC Half.

Wow!!

I did't realize my generally optimistic outlook on American distance running could trigger such a negative response.

Thank you for reminding me why I have chosen not to become a Supporters Club member.

He could grip it by the husk!

In all seriousness though, I don't think it's the MOST absurd thing in the world to suggest Fisher could theoretically nab the 5k WR. A 3:48.29 miler who got under Bekele's indoor 2k WR earlier this year? Taking those together with his unimpressive half marathon debut, I think it's clear his chances at an outright WR are better in the 5 than the 10. As another poster pointed out, Gebrhiwet recently got close to Cheptegei's mark; I feel confident saying Fisher could take Gebhriwet in a 5k this year. Factor in the paucity of high-caliber paced 10k races, and it renders the odds that Fisher would even attempt that record within his narrowing window of prime athleticism ever slimmer.

However, it's true that last outdoor season, he underperformed badly relative to his brilliant indoor campaign. If I'm being honest, he's always struck me as a better time trialer than he is a championship racer. To be blunt, his tactics are often terrible. Plus, while his kick isn't necessarily 'bad' in terms of his top-end speed (which is actually pretty decent), he lacks the ferocious acceleration that wins tight battles. That's why his kick looks better in fast races (i.e. the indoor 3k WR duel with Hocker last year) where the final sprint is a smaller gear-shift from the pace he was already running.

The good news is that 2026, without a global outdoor championship to peak for, is shaping up to be record-huntin season! If Fisher gets in his best possible shape and finds the PERFECT setup, I can see a world in which he locks onto 60 second per lap pace for 12 and a half minutes and becomes the first American man to own the outright 5k WR. Now!...is that likely to happen? Nah. More realistically, he gets second or third in a couple Diamond League appearances, runs with his usual timidity at the World Ultimate Championships, misses the podium, and mumbles something in the mixed zone about how it's not the result he wanted but he's (somehow) satisfied with his season...

Great rant, Rojo. I love it.

Fisher was a little disappointing at USAs last year, but he didn't do too badly. He lost to Nico Young in the 10K by 0.3 seconds in a slow race. I don't think any of us were shocked by that. And he lost to Cole Hocker, the future world champion, by 0.3 seconds in the 5K. It was surprising at the time, but in retrospect that was a pretty good race by Fisher.

Clearly by the time the World Championships rolled around he was burnt.

And, yes, his NYC half marathon debut was poor. Maybe he just isnt cut out for road running or cold-weather running, who knows.

But you left out something important: his 2K at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix was excellent.

4:49.48.

That's #2 on the all-time list, second only to Hobbs Kessler. I can't find an authoritative conversion calculator, but I assume this is the equivalent of a sub 12:50 5K.

Fisher wants to run fast outdoors this year. I think he can and will go sub 12:40. Whether that will be the AR remains to be seen since Nico Young also is clearly capable of running sub 12:40.

I agree, the WR is nearly impossible.

Gebrhiwet wasn't 32 when he ran that, he had turned 30 a couple of weeks earlier. Blanks and Young still have lots of time, but Fisher's window for breaking track PRs is coming to a close.

There's an 800 hurdles race this year. I read about it the other day. Fisher should give it a shot. That's a cheap world record/world best for somebody

1) April Fools is for children, not grown men.
2) One thing is not the same as the other.
3) Yes. For a long time.

For everyone, a world record is almost always nearly impossible, but Fisher is among the extremely minority of individuals who are actually capable of it.

Fan Out West. Your hope and enthusiasm is exactly what we need in the supporters club. Let me buy your first year membership. Email one of the Rojos and I’ll pay for it.

Thats very kind of you.

See the bold at the end. I added in the bold as I'm afraid some people may view my hot take in too negative of al ight.

I do want to say - the fact that it's theoretically possible is a testament to Grant/Mike/Jerry/Milt, etc. - everyone who helped get him here.

But let's be honest, it's not happening. If he thought he could break the 5000 or 10,000 (totally laughable idea for me) WRs, why in the world would he be dabbling the roads? He wouldn't.

If Grant Fisher, who medalled twice in 2024 on the track, was thinking he could get in WR shape for the 5,000 and 10,000, there would be ZERO road talk moving forward. You'd be focused on that solely. Get in WR shape, break the WRs in 2026. Dominate Worlds in 2027 and then head to the home Olympics as a huge star.

I'm not saying Fisher isn't INCREDIBLE . Or that he's totally washed up. But in that 449 race, he lost. To be a WR holder, you have to be better than everyone in history.

disagree with the take on dabbling with the roads. he basically took one month to add a little longer base and see what he could do in a race that almost all of his contemporaries have run. it's a curiosity. a little itch he needed to scratch. And that small block of training isn't gonna take away from big track goals.

i don't disagree that WR are very unlikely for him though.

You arent really in a position to be criticizing anyones takes.