Graham Blanks: Harvard’s Distance Star Takes on the Pro Circuit

Graham Blanks is opening as a pro athlete for New Balance at the 2025 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 2, 2025. This story is written by our senior writer, Deji Ogeyingbo.

Graham Blanks: Harvard’s Distance Star Takes on the Pro Circuit

Graham Blanks has taken an unconventional but highly successful path at Harvard. For a few years, he flew under the radar. Still, he finished his college career with back-to-back NCAA Cross Country Championship wins, set a then-collegiate record in the 5,000m, and represented the United States at the Paris Olympics, where he placed ninth in the 5,000m.

In December 2024, Blanks announced he would forgo the rest of his collegiate eligibility and sign a professional contract with New Balance. His professional debut will be at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on February 2, 2025, where he will compete in the 1,500m. He plans to run the 3,000m at the U.S. Indoor Championships three weeks later. His primary focus, however, is The Ten, an outdoor track meet in March where elite U.S. runners chase the world standard of 27:00 in the 10,000m. Blanks hasn’t raced the 10,000m since 2023, but his dominant cross-country performances indicate he is ready to meet the challenge.

Blanks’ transition to professional running comes with challenges. One of his biggest struggles has been staying healthy in January. Each year at Harvard, injuries interrupted his winter training. He dealt with Achilles issues as a freshman, an adductor problem the following year, and a stress reaction in his femur last year. His left leg is slightly longer than his right, which may contribute to his injuries, especially when running on tight indoor tracks. His coach, Alex Gibby, believes these turns put too much strain on his inner leg. Last year, Blanks missed most of the indoor season before returning in the spring. He finished fifth in the NCAA 5,000m, but his performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials was the turning point. Placing fourth in the 5,000m, he was initially the Olympic alternate. However, third-place finisher Parker Wolfe didn’t meet the Olympic standard, and Blanks’ December record secured him a spot in Paris.

Rather than turning professional immediately after the Olympics, Blanks returned to Harvard for one last season of cross-country. It wasn’t just about competing but finishing what he started with his teammates. “Coming back for cross was never a question,” he said….