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After a successful run in the NCAA world at Harvard, 23-year-old Graham Blanks ’25 continues his career in the professional sphere after sealing a deal with New Balance.

‘I Just Kept Getting Better’

Blanks was exposed to athletics from a young age, but it was not until he was older that he took running more seriously. His introduction to sports started in his childhood, when he mostly played soccer. However, Blanks would frequently dabble in casual running with his mom during turkey trots or 5k’s.

“I would always be pretty good at it,” he said. “I knew how to pace myself, but never really thought anything more of it.”

Blanks continued to play soccer and started cross country in middle school, so he says that he likely trained more for running than he had thought. However, he did not start taking the sport seriously until sophomore year of high school. Once he began winning state championships in cross country, he viewed it as a turning point and it motivated him to hone in on his talent at a leading institution.

“And then things kept working out,” Blanks said. “I just kept getting better.”

“And now I'm a professional runner which I didn't really expect to happen back when I was in middle school, or running those Turkey trots,” he added.

Running at Harvard

Blanks wanted to utilize his talent in running as a chance to attend a top school like Harvard to make the most of the opportunity.

He believes he was inspired to pursue running at the collegiate level mainly because of his friends. Training and bonding with teammates was his first motivator, and running felt like a secondary factor that followed.

“I kind of owe it to keep giving it my all,” Blanks said. “And to win as many races I can, to run as fast as I can.”

“There's thousands of people who would want to be in my position, and who worked just as hard as me,” he added. “But I just got lucky enough.”

“I wouldn't be anywhere without my coaches, and likewise with my teammates,” Blanks said.

Support from both Blanks’ coaches and teammates played an integral role in his progress. Blanks believes that his accomplishments would not have been possible without the motivation he received from his supporters. He added that training with teammates made the process enjoyable and are now some of his best memories during his NCAA career.

‘Big, Awesome Moments’

Blanks had an eventful career in the NCAA and carried the Crimson name far, even to the global stage.

He won the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, becoming the first male athlete from an Ivy League college to capture the title. Just two weeks later, Blanks set the collegiate record for the indoor 5000m with a time of 13:03.78. In 2024, he repeated as champion, becoming the 13th male athlete in NCAA history to win a second consecutive cross country championship. He even broke the 13 minute record in indoor 5000m with a time of 12:59.89, which made him second on the NCAA all-time list.

Blanks is no stranger when it comes to seizing titles across the board. He came in sixth place at the 2022 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, preceding his back-to-back wins the next two years. He also won titles for the Ivy League in 2023 in the indoor mile, 3000m, and outdoor 5000m.

Blanks has also participated in track and field events, where he placed second in the 5000m and sixth in the 10,000m at the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

“People would think the big moments were winning an NCAA championship or setting a collegiate record,” Blanks said. “Those are obviously big, awesome moments for me. But I think at the end of the day, it was the random moments in between with my teammates that really made it the best.”

In retrospect, some of Blanks’ best memories include training with his teammates to win the Ivy League Championships as a team in track and field. Another highlight is when he and his teammates would sweep the podium, placing first, second, and third in a race.

“Those are kind of the things I'll look back on the fondest– was when everything comes together on one day, and we can all perform to our ability,” Blanks said. “Because it's really hard for everyone to be on the same page on the same day.”

In addition to being a two-time NCAA champion, Blanks represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He finished in ninth place in the 5000m final, with a time of 13:18.67.

Blanks says he did not process the scale of the Olympics until he experienced the environment himself.

“It was very inspiring to see all these different athletes from all around the world— all different shapes and sizes, doing all these different random sports you didn't even know exist,” Blanks said. “It was pretty inspiring that we have this human tradition where we can all come together peacefully and be a part of this one big event.

In addition to the environment, competing was also a key eye-opening moment for Blanks. The Olympics is the peak for track and field events in terms of gathering a crowd. Blanks found it astonishing to have been able to compete in front of an 80,000 person audience twice.

“The first thing I thought when I was finished was just how much I wanted to do it all over again,” Blanks said. “So now that's my goal for the next three years, to make it to Los Angeles and then onward to wherever the next ones are.”

Hardships and Growth

In order to reach his current status, Blanks experienced obstacles that served as opportunities for growth along the way.

Because of its nature, distance running is a very physically demanding sport. Blanks recalls encountering his fair share of injuries from constantly challenging himself. However, he attests that these setbacks are a natural part of the journey.

“That's just something you have to learn how to manage— but it doesn't make anything any easier,” Blanks said. “Because all you want to do is be out there with your teammates.”

Blanks also noted the academic and social adjustment of coming to Harvard, especially compared to his hometown. He was glad he had a team during this change, but it did not ease the struggle of assimilating into a new environment. Reflecting on the last four years, Blanks sees how much he has grown to become familiar with what seemed so distant in freshman year.

“I'm happy as I struggled a lot,” Blanks said. “Because without struggle, I wouldn't be the person I am now, and I wouldn't have been able to grow at Harvard.”

“And I think if everything was comfortable all the time, it wouldn't have been worth it to go to school here,” he added.

Professional Debut

There were numerous different factors playing into Blanks’ decision to move on from his NCAA career. A primary reason was that he had accomplished most of his goals and it began to feel like he had outgrown the NCAA sphere.

Blanks felt ready to take his talent to the next level and challenge himself with larger-scale competitors to keep qualifying for major events, like the Olympics.

In the professional world, Blanks has more discretion over his races, events, and overall scheduling.

“Being able to control when you race and when you have to train, and how hard you train during the season, it really is something that can help you stay healthy,” Blanks said.

On February 2, 2025, he made his professional career debut at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, running the 1500m at a time of 3:36.11.

With the World Championships approaching later this year, Blanks’ main priority remains to be healthy.

Next Steps

Sealing a deal with New Balance, Blanks has many events ahead of him, both domestic and international.

Blanks is most excited to travel to new destinations. Competing at Harvard has already opened the doors for him to explore various different college towns within the United States.

“And for me, that was one of my favorite parts— was being able to do that,” he said. “And to get to do what I love while traveling, which is racing.”

Now, as a professional, Blanks looks forward to what’s in store for him as he enters this new chapter. He is eager to travel to diverse countries across the globe to compete in different races.

In particular, Blanks notes that Europe is known to have a larger audience for running events. So, he looks forward to running in front of bigger crowds and building his career.

“Something else I'm excited for is just to be able to be a little more ruthless in setting up a training environment for me that works the best for me, removing the academic rigor of Harvard, and just being an actual professional athlete,” Blanks said.

“Hopefully that gives me a big boost once I start settling into that and I can get even better and continue to run well for everyone who got me to this point.”