Grant Fisher aims for 5,000m and 10,000m medals at Tokyo25 world championships

Grant Fisher is preparing for one of the toughest challenges in distance running: racing for medals in both the men’s 10,000m and 5,000m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo scheduled for 18-21 September.

It's the fourth time the American will be doubling at global championships, having also gone for it at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021, the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

It’s a bold move, but Fisher has the credentials. He holds the U.S. records in both events (12:46.96 for 5000m and 26:33.84 for 10,000m), and earlier this year he added indoor world records at 3000m and 5000m.

Most importantly, in Paris he proved he can deliver on the biggest stage, winning bronze medals in both the 10,000m and 5000m.

After fourth place finishes in both events in Eugene, and missing the 2023 championships through injury, Tokyo represents another opportunity for the 28-year old to finally finish on the podium at the global event.

"There were two guys better than me in both events in Paris… so there’s still a carrot out in front of me," Fisher told letsrun.com.

The rivals waiting for him

Olympic and world record-holder Joshua Cheptegei, along with world half-marathon record-holder Jacob Kiplimo, have both withdrawn from the championships due to personal reasons. This opens up the 10,000m field, removing the reigning Olympic champion and another top contender from the field.

With Uganda’s top duo absent, Ethiopia’s strength looms even larger. Yomif Kejelcha the former world record holder in the mile and half- marathon, Berihu Aregawi the Olympic 10,000m silver medallist and Selemon Barega, the Olympic champion from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021 will all provide stiff competition for Fisher in the 10,000m.

In the 5000m, the Stanford University graduate will face Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic champion with a fearsome final kick, Paris 2024 silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi of Kenya, and Ethiopia’s four-time Olympian Hagos Gebrhiwet, who ran one of the fastest times in history last year.

On paper, the field is still as tough as ever, but if anyone can navigate such challenges, it’s the American.

Fisher’s champion's mentality

But the challenge of the double isn’t only the opponents, it’s the the physical and mental toll.

The 10,000m in Tokyo is expected to be run hard, under warm and humid evening conditions. Recovery will be crucial: rehydrating, refuelling, and keeping his legs fresh enough for the 5,000m heats that follow.

But beyond fitness, composure matters. In Paris, Fisher proved he could thrive in chaotic finals, staying calm when the pace surged and striking late to claim medals.

That confidence has grown steadily with his results.

“I think in the past three years my mindset shifted a lot to I kind of belong in these positions and I have become a better athlete,” he reflected after Paris.

It’s a long way from the Tokyo 2020 Games, where he made his international debut as just another name on the start list. This time, he returns to the Japanese capital as a genuine contender.

Such a transformation doesn’t happen by accident. It's born out of uncomfortable but deliberate changes.

Born in Calgary, Canada, Fisher moved to Michigan at age 12. He first tried his hand at American football before eventually settling on long-distance running.

After a frustrating 2023 season disrupted by injury, Fisher made another big change: leaving the Bowerman Track Club in Eugene to reunite with his high school coach Mike Scannell in Park City, Utah. The move has paid off with two medals to show.

Inspiration from the past

Fisher’s ambition is fueled by the legends who inspired him.

“When I was growing up, there weren’t too many U.S. distance runners competing on the global stage," he told Olympics.com in a recent interview.

"I remember in 2016, Matt Centrowitz won gold in the 1500m, and I was super inspired. There's Billy Mills and Galen Rupp too. There’s a handful of guys who have made it to the top and we have a few people to look up to.

Centrowitz and Fisher have grown close recently, with Fisher revealing that Centrowitz has become something of a mentor to him.

This connection to past champions shows why Fisher is drawn to challenging doubles like Tokyo: he wants to push limits and carry forward a legacy of American distance running.

Click here to read article