World Record Opportunity Falls Short, But Hocker Does Enough To Win In 8:07.31; New Mexico's Habtom Samuel Breaks Henry Rono's Collegiate Record

By David Woods for DyeStat

John Nepolitan photos

NEW YORK – Until Grant Fisher’s late withdrawal, a world indoor record seemed inevitable in the men’s two-mile.

Did not happen Sunday at the Millrose Games. Yet victories by Cole Hocker keep happening.

“It’s nice to run fast,” he said, “but it’s better to win.”

In the featured two-mile in the 118th edition of this meet, Hocker overtook Parker Wolfe to win in 8 minutes, 7.31 seconds. Although Hocker won Olympic gold in the 1,500 meters in 2024 and a world title in the 5,000 in 2025, he had never won at Millrose or in the Diamond League.

He tilted his head to closed hands in the “night night” gesture after he crossed the line.

Hocker ran faster here two years ago, clocking 8:05.70 in finishing third behind Great Britain’s Josh Kerr, who set a world indoor record of 8:00.67. Fisher was second in 8:03.62.

And then Hocker finished second in the 3,000 a year ago behind Fisher, who set a world indoor record.

“I wanted to run fast here, but above all I always want to win,” Hocker said. “The past couple of years, I’ve been forced to run fast. This year, I’m like, ‘You guys want to make it your race. But I’m going to run mine.’

“Every race I feel like I learn something new about myself and this sport and how many different strategies are possible.”

Kerr was second in 8:07.68 and Wolfe third in 8:07.83. Ky Robinson was fourth in an Australian record of 8:08.40 and New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish fifth in 8:08.58.

Graham Blanks, who led through 1.75 miles, was sixth in a personal best 8:08.60. Cooper Teare was seventh in 8:08.91 and Drew Hunter eighth in 8:10.91, also a personal.

New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel, an Eritrean who challenged for the lead, set a collegiate indoor record of 8:11.47 in ninth. Previous record was 8:18.3, dating all the way to 1978 by Washington State’s Henry Rono.

“I wanted to go to the front, establish my spot,” Hocker said. “But I had no reason to pull all those guys along to a PR. Obviously, with Grant not being in the race, that changes it.”

Hocker had lost nine successive finals last year before winning the 5,000 at the USA Championships. Since he was 0-9, he is 4-0. He won a world title, set an American indoor record in the 2,000, since broken by Hobbs Kessler, and won the Millrose two-mile.

Fisher stated at Friday’s news conference he wanted to push the pace. He pulled out Sunday afternoon, explaining he was ill.

Without Fisher, and even with pacemaker Ben Allen, Hocker said he could tell a world record was probably out as early as the half-mile mark. Allen took them through an opening mile of 4:07.29, followed by Hocker in 4:07.61.

Wolfe surged to the front on the last lap but was overtaken by Hocker, who went high on the final bank. Hocker’s final 440 yards was timed in 56.45, Kerr 57.02, Wolfe 56.86.

Wolfe said he was “pretty beat up” in finishing 12th at the World Cross Country Championships Jan. 10 at Tallahassee, Fla. He said he had one good workout since then.

“I probably went just a tad too early. But, hey, I almost held off a world champ, an Olympic champ,” he said. “I can’t be too pissed about it. There’s definitely room to grow.

“Wheels are coming along. We’ve done nothing to get ready for this. So that’s where my confidence lies. If we can do this off cross country strength, we’re ready to go.”

Denied a world record here, Hocker did not specify he would go for one in a mile Feb. 14 on the new JDL oval at Winston-Salem, N.C. The world indoor record is 3:45.14 by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen last year. That came five days after the record was lowered by Yared Nuguse to 3:46.83 at last year's Millrose Games, which remains the American record.

Hocker only conceded he would try to break his indoor personal best of 3:50.35 from February 2022. He said his coach, Ben Thomas, knows his fitness better than he does

“He’s going to lay out the pace we want to run here in two weeks,” Hocker said. “I don’t know how fast anyone has gone on that track yet. We’re kind of curious how fast that track is, also.”

Contact David Woods at dwood1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.