What if Rupp never breaks 2:09 but wins Boston/NYC/Chicago a few times and wins the Olympics?

If he wins all those, he won't have failed to break 2:09.

I can easily see that as his schedule, but there's no way he's winning them all.

And if never running faster than 2:09, he would end his career behind Meb and FAR behind Ryan. And sort of behind another half-dozen US guys.

Beautiful Day wrote:

I can easily see that as his schedule, but there's no way he's winning them all.

And if never running faster than 2:09, he would end his career behind Meb and FAR behind Ryan. And sort of behind another half-dozen US guys.

This is wrong.

larkimm wrote:

If he wins all those, he won't have failed to break 2:09.

Agreed. At least one of those races will require a 2:08 or faster to win. Hell the last three Olympics have all been won in sub 2:09.

whether you like it or not, the fact remains that rupp can't hold a jockstrap to the legacy of hall in the marathon.

the clock don't lie.

and that is just the way it is.

The more relevant question:

Will Galen Rupp still be the best-ever in the US and among the best marathoners ever on earth when the women's world record is faster than his PR?

What? He already surpassed Hall as the best American marathoner. How many WMMs/ Olympic medals has Hall won?

it is laughable, if not pathetic, that there are so many marathon fans that still cannot face reality.

ryan"the truth"hall will continue to remain the top american marathoner until some american runs the distance faster.

but until then, that is just the way it is.

you can deny and cry, but it doesn't change the clock.

Beautiful Day wrote:

The more relevant question:

Will Galen Rupp still be the best-ever in the US and among the best marathoners ever on earth when the women's world record is faster than his PR?

I think there's a far greater chance of Rupp breaking the American record than there is a woman running 2:09:20.

0/10, you tried too hard.

try? your posts indicate you fail to accept reality.

snow blow wrote:

Low 2:09 seems to usually win these races. What if Rupp never breaks 2:09 but ends his career like this?

2018 Boston Champ

2018 NYC Champ

2019 Boston Champ

2019 Chicago Champ (Chicago over NYC because of Trials early in 2020)

2020 Olympic Trials Champ

2020 Olympics Champ

2021 World Champ

Would he be considered the greatest American marathoner ever (like some consider Meb now) or would his lack of a fast time put him further down the list?

Greatest American?

If he wins 7 straight majors that he competes in including a World and an Olympics, we won't be debating if he's the greatest American ever - we'll be debating whether he's the greatest ever (No, Kipchoge is. Kipchoge has won 6 straight majors + the Nike sub 2 plus Rotterdam).

By the time that 2021 comes around, the men's WR could conceivably be a low 2:01, and the women's WR a 2:13.

Unless Rupp runs a time slightly faster than guys in Dunlop tennis shoes ran in the 1960s, I'm not sure there will be much debate.

larkimm wrote:

If he wins all those, he won't have failed to break 2:09.

DING DING DING!

And Rupp will never win New York; it remains to be seen if he'll even RACE New York though I presume he will... and place no better than 6th.

snow blow wrote:

Low 2:09 seems to usually win these races. What if Rupp never breaks 2:09 but ends his career like this?

2018 Boston Champ

2018 NYC Champ

2019 Boston Champ

2019 Chicago Champ (Chicago over NYC because of Trials early in 2020)

2020 Olympic Trials Champ

2020 Olympics Champ

2021 World Champ

Would he be considered the greatest American marathoner ever (like some consider Meb now) or would his lack of a fast time put him further down the list?

For rational people who have a basic level of running knowledge, yes he will be considered the greatest US marathoner. But for idiots like Beautiful Day and mindweak who only look at PR's with no other context and think random 2:08 Japanese guys are better than him, then no.