Athens Academy is proud to announce an upcoming naming ceremony in honor of Olympic runner Graham Blanks on February 7, 2026. A member of the school’s Class of 2020, Graham is an Athens native.

Friends and families of Athens Academy have raised the funds for the naming of a track lane in Graham’s honor. The lane will be officially dedicated during a ceremony on Saturday, February 7, 2026, beginning at 10:30 a.m. This event is free and is open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend.

According to his Wikipedia page, “A two-time NCAA champion and Olympian, Blanks ran in the men's 5000m at the 2024 Olympics, finishing in 9th place in the final with a time of 13:18.67.”

During his time at Athens Academy, Graham was a four-time All-State honoree and a two-time 1A private state champion for cross country. In track, he was a three-time All-State honoree and the 2019 GHSA 3200 state champion.

While a student at Harvard University, Graham won the Ivy League titles in the indoor mile and 3000 meters, as well as in the outdoor 5000 meters. He won the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in November 2023—the first male runner from an Ivy League school to win the race. Two weeks later, he set the collegiate record for the indoor 5000 meters, running 13:03.78 in Boston.

Graham now runs professionally for the New Balance team.

The Athens Academy track is located on the athletic side of the school’s campus off Hwy 441 in Oconee County. The track and field facility can be accessed via the athletic gate at Gene Howard Drive. For more information, please call 706.549.9225.

Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. Now in its 59th year, Athens Academy pursues its mission of “excellence with honor” through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership. Ranked the #1 private school in Athens, #7 private school in the state of Georgia (out of 400+ schools), and #1 private school in North Georgia (Niche.com).

For more information, please contact Kelley Cuneo, communications director, at [email protected] or 706-433-2410.