Wood grad Martin enjoying his step up to professional runner

It wasn’t Easter but it was in New York City and it was raining, so when Gary Martin took off down the world-renowned Fifth Avenue last Sunday with some of the fastest milers in the world, a few famous songs came to mind.
Like “Easter Parade”: “On the Avenue, Fifth Avenue, the photographers will snap us …” and “Singin’ in the Rain”: “What a glorious feeling …” with Gene Kelly and his acrobatic umbrella crooning in a Big Apple downpour.
Anyway, Martin proved once again why he has to be mentioned in the top dozen or so milers on the current global scene.
The Archbishop Wood High School and University of Virginia graduate finished 10th in the Fifth Avenue Mile headline race and has now broken the hallowed 3:50 mark on a number of occasions.
Martin, who turned pro in July when he signed with the Brooks Beasts Track Club, has been on a runner’s high since competing in his first pro race, the Prefontaine Classic, back in July.
The race in New York topped off a marvelous season that saw him find success at both the collegiate and professional levels.
Even though it was raining on Sunday, the mile course has about a 30-foot descent, so that makes up for any moisture discomfort.
“It was my first time running a road mile so I don’t know for sure but obviously it’s going to be a little faster going downhill, compared to a track,” he said in a telephone interview.
One difference is runners can wear spikes on a track but obviously not on pavement such as Fifth Avenue.
Martin’s association with Brooks began back in 2024 when he reached an NIL agreement with the company. Once he graduated from Virginia he was able to reach a full-time contract.
“I wasn’t involved with the professional team,” he explained. “But I got to know some of the sports marketing people, the coaches and stuff like that. I already had that relationship established when I started to look at some pro teams.”
Competing in that first race, the Prefontaine Classic, as a professional was a dream come true.
“It was definitely a surreal feeling,” he said. “I’ve been working toward it for a couple years. That was always the end goal when I was in college.
“But it was a big difference between running well in college, representing the university and signing a professional contract and be able to say, ‘hey, I do this for a living. I’m representing this brand and competing at the highest level.’ It’s definitely surreal, making my pro debut and I was excited for a long time.”
Martin served notice early in his running career he would be a force when he broke the coveted four-minute mile mark at Wood. Later, in 2025, his 3:48 effort at the Millrose Games was the second fastest collegiate indoor mile in history.
He’s still working with his former Virginia coach, Vin Lananna, but he’s about to move his center of operations to join the Brooks team and its coach, Danny Mackey, in Seattle.
“He (Mackey) has been coaching Josh Kerr (world mile record holder), Brandon Miller, some of the best guys in the world in the 800, the mile,” Martin said. “That’s pretty exciting. That’s a really talented group. To be coached by one of the best in the world, I’m excited.”
The 2026 racing season is pretty much over but Martin already is making plans for next year’s World Championships and beyond that, possibly the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
To compete in the World Championships, he has to make the United States team, so that will be his initial goal.
The Olympics are the dream of any serious runner.
“I think if you ask any American runner, that’s the goal,” Martin said. “For me personally, I think I’m in a good spot. Next year will be my first full year as a pro. I think having a full year to get adjusted to a new environment, getting into a new training format. . .I think I have two years to get older, stronger and hopefully be one of the best guys in the country by the time ’28 rolls around.”
As for distances, it’s not necessarily a given he will try to qualify for the Games in just the mile. He’s already run a personal best 13:05 for 5,000 meters and that’s close to being competitive at the international level.
Martin said he will count on his coaches to help with those decisions.
“The good thing about distance running in the 1,500 and the 5K is the training is similar,” he said. “It’s just see where my head is at, where my motivation is at and my physical fitness is at. See which one would be better. I have options, which is good.”
All this great running hasn’t slipped the attention of Martin’s former teammates back at Wood and Virginia. He gets congratulatory messages all the time.
“All the guys who were my teammates at UVA last year,” Martin said. “They’re super supportive. Even going back to Wood, I’m still close with coach Ed Clark. I texted him the other night.”
You can be sure Martin will be running Fifth Avenue in the years to come.
“It’s super cool,” Martin reiterated. “From a pro competition standpoint, I think it’s great because it’s right when the season ends and a lot of people are in the same frame of mind, they’re wrapping up their season and with all the best runners there, you take it all in. An awesome experience.”
Race calendar
Sunday
Garden of Reflection 5K/10K, 9 a.m., Lower Makefield. Contact www.runsignup.com.