Grant Fisher: How an Olympian Trains for Their First Half Marathon

“It’s a home Olympics. The goal is to WIN.”

So why did a 2x Olympic medalist choose a race where success wasn’t guaranteed?

Grant Fisher sat down with us the day after his half marathon debut at the United Airlines NYC Half - and he's holding nothing back.

This isn't a race recap. It's a real-time masterclass in half marathon pacing strategy, racing mindset, and what elite performance actually looks like when things don't go to plan.

Grant took risks. Got it wrong in places. And learnt more because of it.

Whether you’re running your first half marathon or chasing a PB, this episode gives you rare insight into how elites train, race, and avoid the mistakes most runners make.

In this episode:
🧠 The mindset behind taking risks vs playing it safe
🏃‍♂️ What really happened in his 1:00:53 NYC Half Marathon debut
📊 His half marathon pacing strategy - and where it went wrong
⚖️ The biggest mistakes runners make when moving up to the half marathon
🚀 Why just starting is the hardest part - and how to actually do it

🎧

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⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – "The goal is to win"
00:22 – From soccer to running (and hating distance)
05:06 – Half Marathon Debut: What to Expect
05:56 – Racing Strategy: When to Take Risks
06:50 – One of the Fastest US Half Marathon Debuts Ever
07:43 – From racing 2K…to 21K
08:25 – Half Marathon Pacing Strategy: Going Out Fast
09:00 – "It was a risky plan"
10:10 – Wanting a "punch in the face"
11:37 – Track vs Road Racing: Key Differences
13:50 – Olympic margins: seconds from gold
18:43 – Running Mindset: Managing Self-Doubt Mid-Race
22:44 – You get exactly what you put in
24:00 – Training Tips: Easy Runs vs Hard Runs Explained
28:18 – How to Start Running: Overcoming Fear
31:00 – How to Stay Committed to Running
37:00 – What's next: back to the track