DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake University graduate Reed Fischer has run thousands of laps on the Drake Stadium Blue Oval. Thursday night he ran 25 of the best laps of his career to take fourth place in the 10,000 meters at the USA Championships at Drake Stadium.
 
Fischer, who graduated from Drake in 2017, led for four of the last five laps of the race before the more experienced Lopez Lomong bested the field in the final lap to win in 28:58.38. Fischer finished in 29:06.81.
 
The appearance at the USA Championship was the second of Fischer's career and first as a professional. Following his Drake career, in which he won three Missouri Valley Conference titles, a Drake Relays championship and set three school records, Fischer moved to Boulder, Colo., to train with the Tinman Elite Team. He also maintains a fulltime job as the marketing and communications coordinator for the Colorado Mountain Club.
 
"It feels incredible," Fischer said shortly after his race. "I came in here with a chip on my shoulder. I'm a guy who works a full-time job and supports myself. It feels great to come out in fourth place. I felt controlled when I took over and I knew those guys would make a big move in the last 400 meters and I had to ride them to the finish."
 
Fischer settled into fifth place after the first 5k and held that position for the majority of the race. For a brief period, a lead pack of four runners pulled away, but Fischer captained the chase pack and eventually reeled in the leaders.
 
"The group I was with didn't cover that move and I knew that if I wanted to have the race I wanted to have, I had to close that," Fischer said. "Once I reeled them in, I knew they wouldn't pull away again."
 
With five laps remaining, Fischer made a move to the front and ran four strong laps to lead the field in front of friends and family on the Blue Oval and put himself in position to capture a USA Championship.
 
"We have this attitude as a team that we're not just going to sit off the back and let others run our race," Fischer said of assuming the lead and setting the pace. "Everything in my legs felt right and I knew the crowd would be behind me and push me through a few laps. It wasn't planned out, but my legs felt good and my coach told me if 'you have a moment where everything lines up and you feel like it's your time, get after it.' And that's what I did."
 
However, with 500 meters left, Lomong and Shadrack Kipchirchir closed on and overtook Fischer who admitted that at this early stage of his career, he does not have the experience to withstand the kick from more experienced runners.
 
If Fischer's history and career to date is any indication, that closing strength will be arriving soon as his success has been characterized by gradual, consistent and sustained growth as a runner.
 
"I came to Drake as a 4:30 miler and finished 11^th at the Minnesota state as a senior," Fischer said. "To come here five years later and walk away as the fourth best 10k runner in the U.S. is an indescribable feeling."