The 5th Avenue Mile returned to Manhattan this weekend with a string of gripping finishes that underlined both the power of redemption and the burden of reflection. Yared Nuguse rebounded from his Tokyo World Championships absence by storming to a 3:47.7 victory in his event debut on Sunday, outsprinting Parker Wolfe and Drew Hunter down the closing stretch of Fifth Avenue. Gracie Morris, a rising force in the women’s ranks, surged past Karissa Schweizer in the final 300 meters to seize the crown in 4:15.5.

Yet amid these stirring contests, the story that lingered most came not from the winners but from Hunter, who crossed in 3:48.4 and then chose to speak less about contracts and podiums and more about the quiet fears and unexpected triumphs of fatherhood.

Hunter’s performance placed hi

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