Sean McGorty

Sean McGorty
McGorty in 2019 at the Payton Jordan Invitational
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1995-03-08) March 8, 1995 (age 29)
Fairfax, Virginia
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight165 lb (75 kg)
Sport
SportTrack, cross country
Event(s)5000 meters, 10000 meters
College teamStanford
Turned pro2018
Coached byChris Miltenberg
2013-2018
Jerry Schumacher
2018-Present
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  United States
NACAC Championships in Athletics
Gold medal – first place 2022 Freeport 10,000 metres
NACAC Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Mount Irvine Junior men's 6K
Updated on December 21, 2023

Sean McGorty (born March 8, 1995)[1] is an American middle- and long-distance runner, who competes mainly in the 5000 meters and 10000 meters. He represented the United States in both events at the 2023 World Championships and in the 5000 m at the 2022 World Championships. McGorty is a two-time gold medalist at the NACAC Championships, securing victories in the Junior Men's 6K in 2014 and the 10000 m in 2022.

In high school, McGorty achieved success in state- and national-level competitions, including a second-place finish at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He attended Stanford University from 2013 to 2018, where he won an NCAA title over 5000 m. Upon graduation, McGorty turned professional to compete for the Nike-sponsored Bowerman Track Club.

Early life and youth sports

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Sean McGorty grew up in Chantilly, Virginia in a family with a background in track and field.[2][3] His parents met while competing in the sport for the University of North Carolina. His father was a decathlete who participated in the U.S. Olympic trials in 1988 and 1992. McGorty has two brothers who also pursued running, with one who competed for Stanford and the other for William and Mary.

McGorty attended Chantilly High School in Fairfax, Virginia. He was initially involved in soccer and basketball but switched to running after trying cross country in his freshman year. In his first season competing in cross country, he recorded 16:26 in a 5 km race.[4] Encouraged by his success, the high schooler moved on to indoor track. Describing his transition to running, McGorty stated in an interview, "When [indoor track] continued to go well, I decided to do outdoor track. After that spring season, I left my club soccer team and decided to run all year."[3] He became a state champion in cross country, the 1600 meters, and the 3200 meters.

In his senior year in 2012, he placed second at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, behind Edward Cheserek.[5] At the 2013 New Balance Outdoor Nationals, he won the 2-mile race in a time of 8:45.61, the fastest ever for a Virginia high school boy.[6] McGorty also set the high school boy's mile meet record at the 2013 Penn Relays with a time of 4:04.47.[7] For college, he chose Stanford University among offers from several institutions, including Princeton and Georgetown.[8]

Collegiate competition

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McGorty wins the 5000 meters at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

While at Stanford University, McGorty won an NCAA title and recorded multiple All-American finishes. He competed in the NCAA Division I men's cross country championships four times, with a highest finish of seventh in 2015. While competing in track, McGorty achieved several top finishes in the mile. In January 2015, he ran the mile in 3:59.34, becoming the first collegiate runner to achieve a sub-four minute mile in 2015.[9] In 2016, he improved his time in the indoor mile to 3:53.95, finished less than a second behind Izaic Yorks.[10]

McGorty also specialized in the 5000 m. On May 1, 2016, he fulfilled the qualifying standard in the event for the Olympics, with a personal best of 13:24.25 at the Payton Jordan Invitational.[11] At the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, he finished second behind Edward Cheserek in the 5000 m. McGorty improved to first place at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships to claim the NCAA title in the 5000 m in 13:54.81, out kicking heavy favorite Justyn Knight, as well as the 2017 champion and Stanford teammate Grant Fisher.[12] His university honors include being named NCAA Division I Male Indoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.[13][14]

Senior competition

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2018- 2020

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On July 14, 2018, McGorty competed for the first time in Europe at the Guldensporenmeeting in Kortrijk, Belgium, where he won the 1500 meters in a personal best of 3:36.61. The following month, McGorty announced that he had joined the Bowerman Track Club, a Nike-sponsored group coached by Jerry Schumacher. In June 2019, McGorty experienced a severe pain in his foot during training. He was diagnosed with a Staphylococcal infection in his heel bone, leading to multiple surgeries throughout the year. McGorty made a successful recovery and resumed competing in February 2020. In June 2020, he set a personal best of 13:11.22 in the 5000 m.[15]

2021

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McGorty began competing in the 3000 meters steeplechase in May 2021, with the aim of qualifying in the event for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[16] On 9 May, in his first race at the distance, he recorded a time of 8:20.77, meeting the qualifying standard for the Olympics. This time was the fastest debut ever in the event by an American. During the 2020 US Olympic Trials, held in June 2021, McGorty stopped mid-race in a preliminary round to fix a loose shoe, losing about 10 seconds.[17] Despite this, his time was fastest enough to qualify for the final round. In the finals, he finished seventh, missing the top three needed to qualify for the Olympics. In a post-race interview, he expressed disappointment and attributed his performance to negative thinking, stating, "I let myself get out of the race mentally."[18]

2022

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At the 10000m of the 2023 World Championships, Mcgorty is shown in red kit, to middle of the pack and left of center

On 27 May 2022, McGorty placed third place in the 10000 m at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[19] This top-three finish qualified him for this event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, held in Eugene, Oregon on July 17, 2022. At the World Championships, he finished 12th in 27:46.30. The following month, McGorty ran 3:36.67 for 1500 m and 3:54.51 for the mile. His final race of the year was at the NACAC Championships, where he won a gold medal in the 10000 m.[20]

2023

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At the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, McGorty placed third in both the 5000 m and 10000 m.[21] While the USATF selects the top three finishers from each event for the world championships, McGorty had not initially met the qualifying standard of 13:13.50 in the 5000 m, a prerequisite for participating in the 2023 World Championships.[22][23] However, he met the standard for the 5000 m on July 15, 2023 by running 13:02.13 at a meet in Heusden, Belgium.[24] During the 2023 World Championships, McGorty finished 16th in the 10000 m and did not progress past the preliminary rounds in the 5000 m.

2024

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At the US Olympic Trials, McGorty place sixth in the final of the 5000 m.[25] It was his first race of the year after recovering from injury.

Achievements

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All information from athlete's profile on World Athletics.[1]

McGorty (left of center) in the 5000m.
McGorty embraces teammate Grant Fisher after winning the race.
Sean McGorty at the 5000m of the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Personal bests

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Surface Event Time Date Venue
Outdoor track 600 meters 1:22.17 21 July 2020 Portland, OR (USA)
800 meters 1:53.00 1 June 2013 Newport News, VA (USA)
1500 meters 3:36.61 14 July 2018 Kortrijk, Belgium
One Mile 3:54.51 5 August 2022 Raleigh, NC (USA)
2000 meters 5:09.75 7 August 2020 Portland, OR (USA)
3000 meters 7:37.47 6 February 2021 Phoenix, AZ (USA)
Two Miles 8:45.61 15 June 2013 Greensboro, NC (USA)
5000 meters 13:02.13 15 July 2023 Heusden-Zolder (Belgium)
10,000 meters 27:18.15 6 March 2022 San Juan Capistrano, CA (USA)
3000 meters Steeplechase 8:20.77 9 May 2021 Walnut, CA (USA)
Indoor track 1000 meters 2:32.75 13 January 2012 Lynchburg, VA (USA)
One Mile 4:13.81 11 March 2012 New York, NY (USA)
One Mile 3:53.95 27 February 2016 Seattle, WA (USA)
3000 meters 7:51.16 27 February 2020 Boston, MA (USA)
3000 meters 7:46.76 14 February 2020 Seattle, WA (USA)
Two Miles 8:33.41 23 February 2019 New York, NY (USA)
5000 meters 13:09.21 12 February 2022 Boston, MA (USA)

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
Representing  USA
2023 World Championships Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ, Budapest, Hungary 28th (h) 5000 m 13:40.28
2023 World Championships Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ, Budapest, Hungary 16th 10,000 m 28:27.54
2022 World Championships Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, USA 12th 10,000 m 27:46.30

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Sean MCGORTY – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  2. ^ Detweiler, Eric (2013-04-14). "Sean McGorty finds a home on the track at Chantilly". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  3. ^ a b "Q&A: With Sean McGorty". pac-12.com. 2013-10-29. Archived from the original on 2024-01-08. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  4. ^ Bloom, Marc (2013-01-16). "No Rest for McGorty". Runner's World. Archived from the original on 2024-01-08. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  5. ^ Little, Carl (2023-05-19). "Sean McGorty of Chantilly finishes second at Foot Locker nationals; Sophie Chase takes sixth in girls' race". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  6. ^ Rutz, David (2023-05-18). "Chantilly's Sean McGorty wins elusive national title". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  7. ^ Rutz, David (2023-05-18). "Penn Relays: Sean McGorty breaks mile meet record with year's best U.S. high school time". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  8. ^ Little, Carl (2023-05-19). "Chantilly cross-country star Sean McGorty commits to Stanford". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  9. ^ Eilerson, Nick (January 21, 2015). "McGorty breaks four-minute mile barrier". Archived from the original on April 13, 2015.
  10. ^ Stone, Larry (2016-03-03). "Huskies' Izaic Yorks runs fastest collegiate mile ever by American — then bows out". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  11. ^ Kiefer, Dave (2016-05-06). "Payton Jordan track meet was even better at second glance". Palo Alto Online. Archived from the original on 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  12. ^ Kiefer, David. "McGorty Wins NCAA 5,000". Stanford University Athletics. Archived from the original on 2021-08-11. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  13. ^ Stanford Athletics (2016-02-19). "Stanford's McGorty earns Scholar Athlete of the Year honors". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  14. ^ Stanford Athletics (2016-07-31). "Stanford runner McGorty named NCAA indoor track scholar". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  15. ^ Dennehy, Cathal (2020-07-15). "A Year After an Aggressive Infection, Sean McGorty Clocks a Huge 5K PR". Runner's World. Archived from the original on 2023-12-16. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  16. ^ Gault, Jonathan (2021-05-17). "Sean McGorty Has Been Searching for His Best Event. He May Have Found It". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  17. ^ Kilgore, Adam (2021-06-25). "After his shoe came loose, a steeplechase runner used his wits to keep his Olympic dream alive". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  18. ^ Gault, Jonathan. "Men's Steeple: Hillary Bor & Benard Keter Deliver ADP 1-2; Mason Ferlic Rounds Out Team USA". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  19. ^ LetsRun.com (2022-05-27). "Joe Klecker Upsets American Record Holder Grant Fisher To Win 2022 USA 10,000 Title". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  20. ^ "United States National Team Results at NACAC Championships". MileSplit United States. 2022-08-19. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  21. ^ LetsRun.com. "Joe Klecker Upsets American Record Holder Grant Fisher To Win 2022 USA 10,000 Title". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  22. ^ Monti, David. "Elise Cranny, Alicia Monson and Natosha Rogers Come Back To Sweep 5K Podium - FloTrack". www.flotrack.org. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  23. ^ Gault, Jonathan. "World Athletics Announces Tougher Qualifying Standards for 2023 World Championships". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  24. ^ Johnson, Robert (2023-07-15). "Heusden Results: Cooper Teare 3:33.60 FTW, Sean McGorty Gets The Standard (13:02.13) Krissy Gear 4:15.11". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-21. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  25. ^ LetsRun.com (2024-06-30). "Men's 5000: Grant Fisher completes the double - Runs 3:59.97 final 1600 to win in 13:08.85". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
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