Olympic champion Cole Hocker started his 2026 indoor season with a bang. At the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia, the 24-year-old American shattered Bernard Lagat’s 11-year-old American indoor 2000m record for, running a blistering time of 4:52.92. But apart from his rapid 27.96 final split, the track world’s attention also turned towards his latest bold statement.

On his Instagram story, following this performance, Hocker made his ambitions clear with just two words: “Millrose tuneup.” Along with was a repost of his picture from the Hokie Invitational, where he sat next to a scoreboard that recorded his new American record in the 2000m. And his message was simple.

Hocker’s next stop is the 118th edition of the Millrose Games at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory in New York on February 1. The New York track meet will be far different than his podium in Blacksburg, which the 24-year-old shared with Cooper Teare in 2nd (4:54.74) and George Couttie in 3rd (4:57.81).

The Millrose Games field for the two-mile race will feature fellow American record holder in that distance, Grant Fisher, Ky Robinson, Josh Kerr, Ethan Strand, Drew Hunter, Graham Banks, Cooper Teare, Edwin Kurgat, and Jake Wightman. And previously, Hocker has acknowledged one of his opponents in the upcoming event.

“I’m excited for the two-mile because last year’s race with Grant (Fisher) was, in my biased opinion, a race for the ages. I don’t see why this year’s version would be any different. What we ran last year over 3000m is basically equivalent to what the two-mile record is now. So it’s essentially the same race,” he said during an interview with Citius Mag in November 2025.

Indeed, the two raced against each other in February 2024, and in the two-mile race, while Fisher finished first with a time of 8:03.62, Hocker finished in third just behind him with a time of 8:05.70. So, this year will be their second time racing against each other in the two-mile distance.

Well, Hocker has always been someone to look forward to when it comes to the long-distance events. And his Tokyo World Championships turnaround is something still remarkable.

Cole Hocker’s never-say-die mentality

Fresh off an Olympic gold medal in the Paris Games 2024 in the 1500m, Cole Hocker was a favorite at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships. However, fate had something else for the American.

In the semifinal, Hocker violated Rule 17.2.2 of World Athletics, which prohibits jostling or impeding another player in the race. Apparently, he impeded German runner Robert Farken in the final 50m, shoving to hold the inside lane and giving himself the space to secure a spot.

While the German runner ended up finishing 10th, following Hocker’s disqualification, Farken was given the American’s position.

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Even if the disappointment was clear, Hocker didn’t give up. The American athlete ran in the 5000m, but he was in 12th place with a single lap remaining. That was the time when Hocker decided to give it his all and surged past the field to secure that gleaming gold medal with a time of 12:58.30.

“I felt like an opportunity was ripped out of my hands, especially like this whole year I was aiming at backing up that 1500-meter title that I was so proud of in Paris. So, when that was ripped away from me, I just thought, “Well, let’s re-center,” he said, following the 5000m race.

So, Hocker and his tough mental game going against a stacked field at the Millrose Games, fans are in for a treat at the long-distance event.