Grand Slam Track made its Philadelphia stop this weekend and did not disappoint. While I was initially frustrated that they would cut the 5000 from the schedule, not least because of the way this impacts the Long Distance group’s ability to earn points (and US Dollars), the two-day format worked a lot better than the three-day slate from Kingston and Miami.
Saturday’s 11 races made for a lot of highlights, including a full reset of Franklin Field’s long-running record book with 11 new facility records. Here’s what stood out to me:
- Marco Arop negative-split a 1:43!
- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden exploded out of the 200-meter blocks and put away a field that included Olympic champ Gabby Thomas!
- Kenny Bednarek likewise put up a no-doubter in his own 200-meter race, extending his Grand Slam winning streak.
- Agnes Ngetich did what I have loved seeing in each of her Slam performances—taking charge of a race and strong-arming the competition from the front of the pack.
The Men’s Short Distance group had me excited for Sunday. Yared Nuguse finished third in the 800, which I thought set him up really well for his specialty in the 1500 meters. The field was deep, adding Paris fifth-placer Hobbs Kessler to an already potent mix.
I was especially excited because I was going to be there! That’s me!
Grand Slam Philadelphia continued to deliver on the second day of competition, and I got to watch.
Admittedly, I got the start time wrong and got us to the stadium having just missed the Women’s 800 meters. What a race to miss! Jessica Hull ran the wackiest third-place I have seen in some time, and Welteji was once again not to be trifled with.
Instead, I caught that on the replay when I got home and entered moments before the start of the Men’s Short Hurdles 100 meters. The roar of the crowd after the gun went off was special. Unlike the Kingston and Miami venues, Franklin Field is a tight-fit stadium. The sound reverberated off of every brick—especially when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lined up for the next race.
I was a little disappointed when Grant Fisher didn’t line up for the Men’s 3000 meters, but Nico Young’s blistering finish took the sting out a little. This was my first time watching a pure professional meet in person since Galen Rupp’s 3:50 mile at BU in 2013, and it’s easy to forget how different it is. The guys at the front of your local 5K do not have the gear shift that Nico has, and it’s amazing to see.
The Men’s 1500 meters was the highlight for me. I was pulling for Yared to win his first Slam—I wore the only article of clothing I own with a goose on it—but the race we got was still electric.
As soon as Cole Hocker took charge of the race I knew it would be good. A strong kicker who pushes the pace early is a scary man. I was amazed when Marco went with him, and even moreso when he made a play for the win! Luckily for Marco, he held off enough of the pack to squeeze away with a one-point overall victory. After dominating the 800 at every Slam so far, he surely deserves it.
Cole was nearly rewarded for his own efforts, but Josh Kerr nipped him at the line. This group is an utter free-for-all, which has been thrilling to watch.
Even worse for Cole, he had to make chitchat with an awkward washed-up runner from Jersey after the meet.
That’s right: I got Cole Hocker’s autograph!
I had brought my journal to the Slam specifically for autographs, so you’d think I would be prepared for this interaction.
I was not. Our conversation went exactly like this:
“Cole, do you mind?”
“Sure.”
“That’s my running log.”
“That’s cool, I love that.”
And scene. Cole Hocker was gracious with everyone and none of what you just read is his fault. I called a thank-you after him once I got my wits back.
If you think that’s bad, I almost chickened out of getting the autograph. Thankfully, I had a great crew with me who hyped me up.
Overall, I had a Grand time Slamming in Philly and would definitely go back if Michael Johnson brings his circus back to town next year. For now, I’m looking forward to watching Los Angeles!
theDNF 
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