Inside the Mind of Graham Blanks: 12:48 5K, World Championship Bound, and Still Just Getting Started

He made history in college. Now he’s rewriting it on the world stage. From Ivy League dominance at Harvard to lighting up the Diamond League, Graham Blanks is one of America’sbrightest young stars in distance running. He was the first Ivy League male to ever win the NCAA Cross Country title — not once, but twice . In college, he set a then-NCAA indoor 5000m record of 13:03.78 , ran 3:56.63 for the mile, and earned multiple All-American honors on the track and grass. Since turning professional with New Balance, his trajectory has only accelerated. In just the past six months alone, he’sclocked 7:29.72 for 3,000m, 26:57.30 for 10,000m, and 12:48.20 for 5,000m, cementing himself among the fastest Americans in history. Recently, he qualified for Team USA in the 10,000 meters for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo by placing 3rd at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene. Graham has impressed with his seamless shift from NCAA champion to world-class professional racer, inspiring runners everywhere to think bigger, train smarter, and run with purpose. In today's conversation, Graham takes me into his plans for Tokyo, qualifying for his first World Championship team, learning to give himself grace, preparing for World XC Championships in the US next year, inside training in Georgia, upcoming races, training insights, and more. Tap into the Graham Blanks Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend! S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs -BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz