Allright Letsrun - Who wins, Ryan Hall 2007 or Galen Rupp in 2017

It would be close but I say Galen Rupp. Ryan Hall would set the pace and Galen would just hang and wait for the right moment to unleash his kick.

Hall, no contest. He had guts that Galen will never have.

..oh and one of them is running for a kiss from Sara and the other for a kiss from Alberto.

mdog wrote:

Hall, no contest. He had guts that Galen will never have.

What a crock.

Of all the bizarre things Rupp gets criticized for, lacking "guts" is perhaps the stupidest. Can someone point out for me even ONE race where Rupp lacked "guts"? He performs every time he races and almost always gets the job done. As far as I can tell, he has more "guts" than any other American in recent memory. Certainly more than Ryan "DNF half the time" Hall.

Treq wrote:

Can someone point out for me even ONE race where Rupp lacked "guts"? He performs every time he races and almost always gets the job done. .

He's got plenty of lack of guts before the races.

"Not Rupp Certified" does that mean anything to you? This is a guy who wouldn't run certain races his college team was doing as the conditions weren't optimal.

Salazar is the one without guts. You are right, when Rupp races, he races hard.

Rupp would outkick him. Hall always lost out on close battles at the finish line. London 2008 he finished 2 seconds behind E. Mutai. Boston 2010 he finished 2 seconds behind Merga. Boston 2011 he finished 5 seconds behind Gebremariam. Chicago 2011 he finished 5 seconds behind some no name Ethiopian.

Somewhat like Kipchoge v Bekele though not as fast. Rupp's kick is better (Bekele) but Hall's grit over the distance is better (Kipchoge). Except Rupp is more consistent so far (Kipchoge) and Hall either kills it on DNFs (Bekele).

Would be a fascinating race to watch.

Rupp, 99 times out of 100. Rupp knows how to race for place. Hall knew only how to run for time. The chances that he'd have a great day and simply run away from Rupp are slim.

Rupp is the sort who would rather win in 2:09 than be 5th in 2:05. Hall would rather be 5th in 2:05 than win in 2:09. The Rupp type wins races far more often.

Beijing 2008: Hall did not try to go with leaders in hot Olympics, finished like 12th place.

Rio 2016: Rupp did try to go with the greatest marathoner of all time in the Rio Olympics, where it was also hot and humid, and got a PR and Olympic medal.

Rupp and Hall both have an Olympic Trials marathon win.

Rupp has a WMM win. Hall has none.

Hall has run time trial type of race (London twice, Chicago once when it had pacers still) and run 2:06 in one of those. Rupp has not run a race like that yet.

Hall has that sub 205 at Boston, wind or not that's a good run (probably still sub 207), and he is the one that pushed it from the gun. Don't see Rupp doing that.

Conclusion:

An Olympic medal and a non-paced WMM win makes Rupp look like he would be better in a match-up without pacers. For that matter I think he'd be better in a time trial too, but of course that remains to be seen.

I can tell by the replies that many didn't watch Ryan Hall race in 2007. Hall would win by a minute or more.

The question wasn't about career or about 2008, it was about Hall in 2007.

another runner wrote:

I can tell by the replies that many didn't watch Ryan Hall race in 2007. Hall would win by a minute or more.

I watched Hall in 2007. He ran great when he was "on" and could do what he liked best--seeing how fast he could run. In the marathon trials and Houston half, that had him solo where there were no longer tactical considerations. When he wasn't having a great day, his emphasis on time hurt his placing. Like two months after the Houston half he ran Gate River 15K, shot out to the lead, got frustrated when his splits were slower than in Houston, and wound up finishing second.

If at Houston and the trials someone was with him to 5K to go--and I think 2017 Rupp would have been--Hall might not have been able to relax and just run as fast as possible and feel God's pleasure and picture himself on a long tempo run and all that stuff he said at the time.

Hall is more like the person in your local running scene who wants to PR every time out, and therefore often winds up running slower than he's capable of. Rupp is the guy who cares intensely about beating other people.

what were his last 5 miles in 2007?

Have they ever actually raced each other? NCAA maybe?

Spaghettimonster wrote:

what were his last 5 miles in 2007?

Read the article. Here are their last 8 miles.

Hall on left Rupp on right

18 4:32 4:54

19 4:41 5:04

20 4:34 4:57

21 4:40 5:08

22 4:51 4:39

23 4:42 4:35

24 4:52 4:30

25 4:47 4:34

26 4:49 4:33

2007 Ryan Hall was younger and faster -- this is undeniable. What Hall did from January 2007 to April 2008 was amazing, and November 2007 was probably peak Ryan Hall. Most of us thought he would've won the actual NYC marathon (held the next day on an easier course, and won with a near identical time) that year.

Still, if it were under warmer conditions, or a close race at the end, I'd give Rupp a really good shot at winning. But November 2007 Ryan Hall would be able to essentially solo a 2:07 or 2:08 on a fast course in good conditions, so him just dropping Rupp wouldn't be out of the question.

Rupp, no question.

Sure Hall had a great race and if you just compare the times they ran it could look like he would win.

But Galen Rupp has won 2 Olympic medals (Hall never did) and now a WMM (again, Hall never did). He consistently performs up to expectations, or at least has done so for the last 5-7 years. When was the last time he lost to an American at 10k or longer?

If it came to a head-to-head race, Rupp would do what it took to win. Which means sitting on Hall till the end and out kicking him. That is the only way that matchup would end. Rupp would not lead a step until the final half mile and then he would blow him away.

peekay wrote:

If it came to a head-to-head race, Rupp would do what it took to win.

If this is true, why couldn't do this when the winner ran 2:08 in the 2016 Olympics, or when the winner ran 2:09:30 in 2017 Boston?

peekay wrote:

Which means sitting on Hall till the end and out kicking him. Rupp would not lead a step until the final half mile and then he would blow him away.

With all due respect, this is how high school coaches talk. Distance running doesn't work this way. Go look at the times of the runners that Hall and Rupp actually beat in a race. Has Rupp ever beat a 2:06:30 guy?

I said Rupp would do what it took to win against Hall.

Do you honestly think Hall, in the best shape of his life, would have won that 2:08 race at the Olympics in 2016?

And I'm too lazy to look, were there actually only 2 2:06 guys in the Olympic Marathon in 2016? Is that why he got bronze? Of all the Africans in that race only 2 had run 2:06:30?