He clearly should focus on the 10,000m at USAs. He should convince Conner Mantz to go balls to the wall leading the first 6-7k, hoping that it is fast enough to be under the world standard
I don't think I've ever seen the "push the pace so you can both get the standard and place top 3" option work out for anyone. Standards tend to be too tough to get without rabbits+good conditions, and people tend to struggle to finish top 3 as well after that much leading
there was a decently long stretch where our third guy was a collegian or B/C tier athlete (relative to the global stage, Diamond League competitiveness). It wasn’t an IMPOSSIBLE dream for an athlete to not just make a US final but the team as well.
Now? Our distance teams are just as hard to make as our sprint and hurdle teams, and are up there with ETH/KEN teams in terms of ability
US men’s distance teams have improved significantly and performed well, but they are not as difficult to make as the US sprint and hurdle teams. hurt one example — the 110 hurdles final at the US Olympic trials last year was the fastest hurdle race in history. We celebrate Young winning a DL or Fisher winning two Olympic bronze medals as momentous events, when that stuff happens all the time for US athletes in sprints and hurdles.
He clearly should focus on the 10,000m at USAs. He should convince Conner Mantz to go balls to the wall leading the first 6-7k, hoping that it is fast enough to be under the world standard
I feel like his best chance is the 10k. Not as deep as the 5k and there is no way he makes the 15. I just can't see him beating Fisher, Young, or Blanks.
Lots of talk and deliberation on this thread. He isn’t making it without the standard.
If this is the case, then it is a no brainer that he should try to get the standard at the US champs. There is no logical reason why he shouldn’t go for it. Just fear of embarrassment of blowing up in the race
Winning a 1500 with a 3:33 (of a modest 1:56 800), is sort of like running a 3:31 coming in sixth or ninth in a big race. He finished in 54, so he could not have reasonably run a 3:31 in that race. And he has not had a lot of opportunities to run in a 3:27-3:30 race.
Also apologies about typos I'm using a new phone with slight tremors and mediocre eye sight; we get old and stuff does age.
Winning a 1500 with a 3:33 (of a modest 1:56 800), is sort of like running a 3:31 coming in sixth or ninth in a big race. He finished in 54, so he could not have reasonably run a 3:31 in that race. And he has not had a lot of opportunities to run in a 3:27-3:30 race.
Also apologies about typos I'm using a new phone with slight tremors and mediocre eye sight; we get old and stuff does age.
My issue honestly with Drew, who is a very easy guy to root for, is I don’t get the game plan. He runs all these road races after some whatever indoor/The Ten performances…that’s fine. Now he’s all in on track and clearly in great shape and the race selection is what exactly. A 5,000 in Portland that is never too fast. A 1,500? If he aspires to do road races/ distance in the future why not pop into the Pre 10,000 where he could get the standard or the points to make it realistic to get Tokyo. If not why not go for a maximal 5,000 instead of the 1500 at Sunset this week knowing you’d have Dylan Jacobs, Rocky Hansen, Brian Musau chasing points/marks? Now if he runs the 10,000 we probably end like last year where he doesn’t have a path to the team (even if top 3) and can’t get into a good race in Europe and is in 13:1x and 7:35 races before it’s all roads in 2026.
This post was edited 34 seconds after it was posted.
Wouldn’t you rather him hope it goes fast (or make it fast himself) so he could get the standard? A tactical race kills his chances of going to worlds. Isn’t getting to worlds the point here??? Who cares about a 3rd place when it doesn’t get him to world’s?
case in point- Parker Wolfe’s 3rd place last year.
If it goes out fast he won’t make the team in this heat and humidity. He would need the standard before in a controlled European diamond league race where he just jumps in the middle and rides the wave to a PR. Since he doesn’t have it, best he can hope for is a slow tactical race to try to win the 10k and get a berth based on points for worlds. That’s it.
Oregon is getting warm, even an evening run will not be ideal conditions. Fisher will not leave it to a 400m kick so he’ll push from at least 1000m out. Who knows what shape people show up in? Hunter should try the 10 and have the 5000 as his fall back.
If you’re Drew Hunter, what is your plan at USA’s out of the following options:
1. Race the 10k and compete for top 3. Be happy with a good effort even if a top 3 finish won’t qualify you for worlds.
2. Lead the 10k and go balls to the wall to try to get under the standard. Put yourself at risk for blowing up, but if it pays off and you get the standard and top 3, you qualify for worlds.
3. Race the 5k and compete for top 3. Be happy with a good effort even if you are too 3 but don’t hit the standard.
4. Lead the 5k and compete to get the standard. Risk blowing up, but if it pays off and you finish top 3, you qualify for worlds.
5. Try to make 1500m final and hang with top guys as long as possible and hope you can kick into a top 3 finish. You’re most likely going to have to run under the standard to get top 3 anyway.
I’m hoping for option 2 (gutsy 10k), but realistically think we will see option 1 or option 3 (which would be lame and boring). I think his best case scenario in the 1500m is 6th in the final, so I don’t think option 5 is a great choice.
Option 6 - change your name to whoever wins and dig your heels in about its virtues being YOURS.
So you guy are telling me that Drew Hunter either thinks he has a plan to win the 5k/10k or he thinks he can run the standard at the trials? Well I wasn’t going to watch USAs but I cant wait to watch his race now, thats going to be a fun one.