NEW YORK – Stanford alum Grant Fisher ’19 broke the indoor world record in the 3,000 meters on Saturday at the Millrose Games at The Armory in Washington Heights.
Fisher ran 7:22.91 in a duel with Olympic 1,500 champion Cole Hocker, improving on Lamecha Girma’s year-old record of 7:23.81. Hocker finished second in 7:23.14, also inside Girma’s record.
In fourth, and setting an Australian record of 7:30.62, was Stanford graduate Ky Robinson ’24.
This is the first world record for Fisher, who holds American absolute records at four distances: 3,000 meters, two miles, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters.
Hocker took the lead with 600 to go, but Fisher rallied on the homestretch of the final lap, closing in 27.50 for the final 200, with a final 400 of 56.33.
“I’m kind of in shock,” Fisher said, on WorldAthletics.org. “I didn’t think we’d go that fast. I thought we might be able to challenge the American record, and clearly Cole thought he was in pretty good shape too. I was happy he took the lead that far out. I tried to go past him on the back stretch of the last lap and he held me off, so I just gave it everything with 50 meters to go.
“A lot of people would say he has the best kick in the world, so to beat him like that, I’m really happy with it. That really couldn’t have turned out any better.”
In Paris last summer, Fisher became the first American man to medal in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at a single Olympic Games and made a case as the greatest distance runner in U.S. history. In a wild finish to the Olympic 10,000 final in which the top six finished within a second of each other, Fisher took third in 26:43.46 to become the second American to medal in that event since Billy Mills won gold in 1964.
He followed with another bronze, this time in the 5,000, running 13:15.13 in the final. Fisher won both events at the U.S. Olympic Trials, taking the 10,000 in 27:49.47 and the 5,000 in 13:08.85.
Fisher was a 12-time All-American at Stanford and the 2017 NCAA outdoor 5,000 champion.
Robinson, who won the 5,000 and 10,000 at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships while leading Stanford to a third-place team finish, broke the Australian indoor record of 7:33.12 by Cameron Myers last week in Boston. Before that, the record had held for 17 years.
Robinson’s previous best at 3,000 was 7:36.69 a year ago while competing for Stanford at the Husky Classic indoor meet in Seattle.
Also at Millrose, alumna Olivia Baker '18 earned her second consecutive runner-up finish in the 800, running a personal indoor best of 2:00.02.
In the women's 3,000, Ella Donaghu '21 was eighth in a personal indoor best of 8:38.75. In the women's Wanamaker Mile, Olympian Elise Cranny was 12th in 4:30.64.
In the high school girls' 600, Stanford signee Olivia Cieslak placed fourth in 1:31.63.