The track and field world has seen spectacular events this year and during the end of 2023, another event that amassed a lot of attention was the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships 2023. This is the championship that is held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association every fall for individual men’s runners and cross-country teams from universities in Division l. This year the men’s race was held on the 18th of November 2023.

Harvard’s Cross Country star, Graham Blanks, clinched the championship with an outstanding performance, delivering a race that captivated audiences. What sets this athlete apart is not just his remarkable display on the track, but also his lighthearted comment about his win during a post-race interview. His modesty and self-deprecating review of his own performance left track enthusiasts in awe.

Graham Blanks’ comment after NCAA Cross Country Championships 2023 win

Graham Blanks, now a junior, is experiencing the pinnacle year of his running career at Harvard. Demonstrating his prowess, he secured the top spot in the NCAA championship, earning recognition within the track community. Following his exceptional performance, he sat down for a press conference where his humorous commentary about his victory caught the attention of many. Even the interviewer couldn’t help but appreciate the runner’s witty and amusing statement.

Citius Mag shared a clip from the press conference on their X account which was the funniest one of the day. Recalling the statement that he made before the race, Blanks stated, “I told them I wanted to be the smartest runner today and I ran like a dumbass.”?He further added, “It ended up being the runner with the most heart”. The interviewer gave a laugh at this hilarious statement and then Blanks expressed the circumstances of the race.

He mentioned encountering challenging surges throughout the race, emphasizing the added difficulty caused by excessive wind and sun. Nonetheless, despite these adversities, he managed to secure a spectacular victory for himself.

The terrific performance of Graham Blanks at the championship

This year, the now-junior Graham Blanks showcased a remarkable performance at the NCAA Championship. He claimed victory gracefully on November 18 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Standing atop the podium, he completed the 10km race in an impressive time of 28 minutes and 37.7 seconds. Following closely behind in second place was New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel, just three seconds behind with a time of 28:40.7.

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In the third position was Ky Robinson from Stanford with a time of 28:55.7 and in the fourth position was Denis Kipngetich from Oklahoma State who clocked a time of 28:59.7. Along with this win at the championship, Blanks also won the NCAA Northeast Regional. Not just this, he is also the first Ivy League runner to win the Men’s Cross Country Championship.

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