Blacksburg's dynamic duo outruns Olympic competition

It was arguably the most iconic moment of the Paris 2024 Olympics.  

For most of the race, the men's 1500-meter final was dubbed a showdown between Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic champion, and Josh Kerr, the world champion. Nobody expected that a little-known American competitor, Cole Hocker, would sneak up on both in the final straight and take gold. 

Well, nobody except for Hocker himself and his coach, Ben Thomas.  

"After he handled the semi-finals so well, I felt oddly calm," Thomas explained. "I knew that if he had a clean run in finals, then something good was going to happen." 

And, like a champion, the 23-year-old from Indianapolis approached the race with confidence in his consistent training and an expectation to medal. He sprinted down the final 100-meter homestretch in front of a roaring capacity crowd at Stade de France and overtook both favorites, clocking a huge personal best and a new Olympic record of 3:27.65.  

"I know when it was time for the final that I hadn't shown all my cards,” Hocker reminisced. “Based off the race I had at trials, I knew it was going to be a really hard race and painful, but a medal was well within my reach." 

Behind this extraordinary race and Hocker's success lies the strong bond between Hocker and Thomas, a connection that began from the moment they met.  

Thomas ’92, a Lynchburg native who was a distance runner at Virginia Tech, recruited Hocker during his first year in 2019 as the associate men’s head coach at the University of Oregon. Hocker had won every track competition and set numerous records during his senior year at Cathedral High School. 

What also impressed Thomas about his recruit was Hocker's willingness to run relays with his teammates rather than just focusing on individual events. This demonstrated Cole's team-oriented mindset, which aligned perfectly with Thomas' approach of building a strong team environment at Oregon. 

When Hocker began his freshman season, he was not the top athlete, which was exactly what he wanted – the opportunity to chase and learn from more experienced runners. This mentality of embracing the challenge of improvement rather than expecting immediate success proved to be a key factor in Hocker's development under Coach Thomas' guidance. 

"That's another example of why Cole was such a great recruit," Thomas said. "He never made a fuss about losing. He always went right back to work and didn't change what he did, but he was able to see the value in his failures and use that and take it as a challenge, while having the patience to see it through." 

Hocker's rise was meteoric. In 2021, the 20-year-old University of Oregon sophomore upset Matthew Centrowitz for the win in the U.S. Olympic Trials, followed by a sixth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympic Games. Turning pro shortly thereafter, Hocker remained under Thomas as he continued to establish himself as a world-class runner by lowering his personal best times and competing at an international level. 

Yet his path to stardom and success was by no means easy. Injuries plagued Hocker following the US National Track and Field Championships, keeping him from qualifying for the World Outdoor Championships. He suffered another injury the following year.  

Through both setbacks and successes, Hocker and Thomas's mentality remained the same – focus on the next race and the bigger picture.  

"I think a lot of people in both of our circles have said they see why we get along and why I respond so well to his coaching," Hocker said. "We're both really focused on running, but also know how to stay level-headed—neither feeling too low when things go wrong nor too high when things go right. The latter is especially important. After I won the USA Championships or the Olympic Trials, which are huge milestones, both coach and I kept in mind that those were just stepping stones. We had bigger goals, and we didn’t let the wins distract us from the bigger picture." 

In August 2023, Oregon's coaching change at the top led to Thomas leaving and returning to his alma mater to take over as head track and field coach. In November, Hocker made the bold decision to pack up and move to Blacksburg to reunite with Thomas. Thomas had been a key fixture in Hocker's life and success, so continuing to train with him seemed a no-brainer. 

For Thomas, returning to Virginia Tech was a dream come true. 

Hocker, hesitant at first, quickly realized how much he enjoyed the small town in rural Virginia. 

"It was a big move," he admitted. "But I was very surprised by the running community in Blacksburg. I lived in what was coined "Tracktown USA" for four years with die-hard track fans, but the running community in Blacksburg truly rivals that. Virginia Tech’s facilities are also incredible." 

After settling into his new home, Hocker's confidence was boosted by several big races. He won the U.S. 1500-meter indoor title in Albuquerque in February, ran his first sub-13-minute outdoor 5,000-meter race and then dominated in the U.S. Olympic trials in the 1500, winning his preliminary race and semifinal before blasting the final in a meet-record 3:30.59. 

Hocker and Thomas didn't really ramp up training or take on outrageously difficult workouts. Key to Hocker's success was simply remaining healthy and completing a full year of consistent training – and with this in mind, both coach and athlete knew that he could be unbeatable.  

The Olympic champion only experienced one moment of doubt during the start of his 1500-meter upset.  

"It was just because the race went out so fast," Hocker explained. "The first 400 was well below the world-record pace. And you don't know that until you come around the 400-meter mark. I was thinking, there's no way we can hold that pace. So once the group slowed down a bit from that pace, I got on top of my form, connected to the pack, and just raced the last 200, which I've done hundreds of times before." 

Thomas reflected on this moment and explained how overcome with emotion he was, particularly when he finally managed to reunite with Hocker after his race. 

"It goes back to the way Cole and I are," Thomas laughed. "It was just such a big moment, and neither one of us are big talkers or big celebratory guys. Neither of us had the words, so we just had a nice hug before he went off to receive his medals." 

The newly appointed Virginia Tech director and his protégé aren't done yet. While his next racing moves are still to be determined, Hocker will continue to train in Blacksburg with Thomas and other Oregon runners. Hocker's return to Blacksburg is particularly impactful for a community that has a strong tradition of distance running. 

"The local Blacksburg high school team has a hundred kids come out to run cross country and track," Thomas said. "People know running here. They love sharing this moment and are so excited to have some of the best runners in the world. And with this being my home, bringing him here is special to me. It doesn't really get much better than that."