Moh Ahmed secures Paris Olympic spot, Grant Fisher wins Sound Running’s The Ten meet

Moh Ahmed has allowed himself to compete in the men’s 5000-metre and 10,000-metre events at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The three-time Olympian from St. Catharines, Ontario booked his place in the 25-lap 10,000m event by finishing sub 27 minutes at Sound Running’s The TEN race on Saturday in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. He clocked a 26:53.01 performance to take fourth place in the stacked event.

American Grant Fisher won in the time of 26:52.04. Taking second was fellow American Nico Young at 26:52.72. Taking third was Swede Andreas Almgren in 26:52.87. Eight ran sub-27. Twenty-six ran sub-28.

Moh Ahmed runs under Olympic 10,000m standard after qualifying in 5,000 last Julyhttps://t.co/FYsWWG5HNE

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) March 17, 2024

Fisher owns a best of 26:33.84 from the same event in 2022.

The 33-year-old Ahmed’s personal best of 26:34.14 is from the 2022 edition of The Ten, which is the Canadian national record. Fisher’s is the North American record. Ahmed is the only Canadian to breach the 27-minute barrier, which he has done at least three times.

Ahmed achieved the 13:05.00 Olympic standard during the 5000m event last July 21, going 13:01.58 at the Monaco Diamond League meet. The 10,000m standard is 27:00.00. Making a national team also required being the top-three nationally and have a global ranking

Speaking to the CBC, Ahmed suggested that due to a lack of racing, perhaps his instincts were not there and he may have doubted himself a little.

Fellow Canadian Ben Flanagan, from Kitchener, ON ran a new personal best time of 27:20.93, not fast enough to make Team Canada, but there is time left in the season for more.

Qualifying standards and global ranking

Entry standards for the 5000m and 10,000m events also involve global rankings. From World Athletics, “Athletes will be able to qualify in two ways for the Paris 2024 Games, with 50% of qualification places based on achieving the entry standard for an event within the qualification period, and the other 50% based on the World Athletics Ranking within the ranking period.”

Twenty-seven athletes will make the 10,000m event, while 42 spots will be open for 5000m runners. The only 10,000m race in the Olympics is the final, while there is one semi-final, split into heats for the 5000m. Both genders have equal opportunity to qualify.

The shoes…

Eight athletes represented Nike, whether it was “Nike,” or “Nike Bowerman Track Club.” Three of the top-four finishers represented the company including Fisher with Nike and Ahmed with the giant corporation’s track club. Five represented Puma and four represented On Athletic Club.

What the athletes were wearing on their feet — since the advent of super shoes — is nearly as important as whether they ran a personal or season-best race.

Results