Coach Jerry Schumacher continues to be in awe of Moh Ahmed’s performance in the Paris Olympic men’s 10,000m final. The Canadian executed a masterful race, strategically positioning himself before making a bold move on the final lap. Ahmed surged into second place 100 meters from the finish but was overtaken by American Grant Fisher and Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, finishing fourth in 26:43.79—just 0.34 seconds behind Fisher for bronze.
“That might have been the best 10,000 meters he’s ever run,” Schumacher remarked, emphasizing Ahmed’s gold-medal mindset.
On Sunday, Ahmed is set to make his half marathon debut at 7 a.m. ET in New York City, joined by fellow Canadians Ben Flanagan, Tristan Woodfine, and Andrew Davies in the elite men’s field. Schumacher anticipates Ahmed will also compete in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September, having already met the qualifying standards.
Speculation around Ahmed’s transition to road racing has intensified, especially after winning the Ottawa 10K two years ago for his first Canadian 10K Championships title. He had planned a half marathon debut in January 2024 but withdrew from Houston due to a hamstring/hip flexor issue. Now, after recovering from a minor foot problem, Schumacher confirms Ahmed is in top form.
The NYC Half Marathon course spans Brooklyn to Central Park, including the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time. Schumacher acknowledges the difficulty of the course but believes Ahmed’s strength-based training will serve him well.
While Cam Levins holds the Canadian half marathon record (1:00:18), the NYC course is not record-eligible. Nonetheless, Schumacher believes Ahmed is in 61-minute shape, though the athlete’s primary focus is learning the distance rather than clocking a fast time.
Flanagan, transitioning to marathon training soon, believes Ahmed could eventually break the Canadian record but doubts New York is the venue for such a feat. With Ahmed’s track credentials, Flanagan advises a cautious approach to avoid an early aggressive pace affecting his late-race endurance.
As Ahmed takes this next step in his career, the anticipation builds around his potential in the half marathon and beyond.
Source: Swifteradio.com
