Ford Palmer

Palmer attended Absegami High School in Galloway Township, New Jersey, where he played as a linebacker for the school's football team.[3] Outside of football season, Palmer ran on Absegami's track team as an 800 meter runner. However, after suffering a total of four concussions over the course of high school, he gave up football in order to focus on running.[3] At New Jersey's 2009 Meet of Champions, Palmer placed third overall in the boys' 800 meter race in a time of 1:52.24, his best result in high school.[3]

Palmer attended and ran track at Monmouth University, where he was coached by Chris Tarello.[4] After graduating from high school, Palmer's weight at one point was as high as 205 pounds.[3] In his first two seasons at Monmouth, his training volume was considerably low at 25 miles of running per week.[3] As a junior, a physical check-up revealed that Palmer had high blood pressure.[4] After the diagnosis, he watched Forks Over Knives, after which he began a pescetarian diet, which he maintained for a year.[4] Subsequently, he tried a vegetarian diet, after which he fully transitioned into a vegan in 2011.[4] By the end of Palmer's senior year at Monmouth, he not only changed his diet but also lost 51 pounds[3] and recorded a mile time of 4:00.4.[5]

After graduating from Monmouth in 2013, Palmer began working as a bartender while training under coach Frank Gagliano with New Jersey New York Track Club.[4] In early 2014, he was close to quitting the sport as he worked some overnight bar shifts in order to support himself.[4] He made a career breakthrough on August 1, 2014, when he won the Sir Walter Miler in 3:57.61, his first ever mile under four minutes.[6] In January 2015, Palmer signed a professional contract with Hoka One One.[5] The following year, he raced in the men's 1500 meters at the 2016 US Olympic Trials, but did not progress beyond the first heat.[2]

Palmer has divided his time living with his mother in Galloway Township and his father in Upper Township, New Jersey.[7]