NICO YOUNG 26:52!!

A 26:52 5k is pretty slow, idk why everybody is so impressed

So he'll probably make the US team and then get stomped by the Ugandans and Ethiopians anyway

Hmmm. Jakob eats their lunch at the 5K. Plus, Fisher beat Barega in 2022 Worlds at the 10k distance and lost to the other two guys by less than a second.

So my guess is that *you* are laughing, but those runners are not.

In the flotrack interview with Mike Smith they're walking Nico to drug testing and he says "3rd one" or something, which makes it sound like he's been drug tested more than once already.

Young is probably further along in his training plan, thus closer to his peak, than Fisher if he's been following the normal college cycle of training.

True! Did you watch the race, though? There were still 8 people all bunched together with 600m to go.

Then you wouldn't mind sharing your name so we can look up your PR of 26:51 or faster?

I could see him going for the XC title in the fall like Cooper Teare. Hopefully with a better result.

Unless a 5000m athlete is also a sub-1:47 800m athlete, don't we expect 5000m athletes to race 10000m at 5000m pace plus (20 to 25) seconds? A 12:57.xx 5000m athlete races 10000m at about 5000m pace plus about 29 seconds, seems normal to me.

1. Nico is in closer to peak shape because he just ran the 3k/5k at NCAA indoor champs, so he's better at the 10k

2. Fisher didn't run the 3k at World indoor champs because it would've made him worse in the 10k

It seems to me like you believe both 1 and 2. Can you explain how they aren't contradictory? In my mind, Nico training specifically for shorter distances would make it a bit harder to run a good 10k, while Fisher training specifically for the 10k, to the point that he doesn't race WCs, would make Fisher better at running a 10k.

most high level guys seem to be in the ballpark of double 5k time, add 1 minute. This seems to be true within just a couple seconds for so many all time world greats and all time usa best

I like to see Nico win the NCAA XC title & turn pro afterwards. I think he's finally surpassed that Harvard guy (forgot his name) for a revenge race.

Go Nico!

Agreed. He really wants a XC title and then end his college career the next day.

Like the ones that "stomped" Purrier, Kerr, Nuguse, Hocker and Kessler on Glasgow?

I think he definitely goes pro either now or right after NCAA track. He's no dummy. He's at his most bankable right now, and he can get in on an Olympic year cycle of bonuses for making the U.S. team, the finals, medaling, etc. That's probably an extra 50k just this year alone just for maintaining fitness until the end of June. Either way, dude is incredible, super fun to watch race (parallels Ritz with his expressions of agony towards the end of races). And he's only 21; likely still 4-6 years away from his peak if he stays healthy. What potential. Not to mention he's a really good role model for younger LGBTQ runners, which, given the current climate, is needed.

I believe only 27 men will be in the Olympic 10,000m race. About 7 or 8 of them were in that race. If Nico runs like that this summer he’ll be top 10 in the Olympics, maybe even top 5. And at that point him and fisher are in sniffing distance of the medals.

Nico is getting no respect for his kick:

He outkicked Wolfe (3:54.1 mile) a couple of times last week

Yesterday, he outkicked Almgren (3:32.0 1500m).

What else does he need to do to prove that he has a kick now?

On the other hand. This past 8 days have been a lot and he is peaking. Odds of him getting injured in the next month is very high as he will be continuing his racing/training. That’s what I find to be the greatest threat.

well Larry, people test positive all the time, if you are running as fast as the guys getting popped then......

Pro runners end their seasons in the summer and begin the next cycle in the fall. Because college runners are training to peak in the spring, they start their cycles in the summer. Nico ended his season in June last year while Grant was still racing outdoors in September, so it's safe to say Nico is probably 1-2 months ahead of Grant in their year-long training plans.

Nico's obviously in great shape, but I think his ceiling is lower at this point than Grant's this season, but it will be fun next year to see how Nico stacks up when he's on the same training schedule as the rest of the pro's.