Preview of Men’s 10,000 Meter Race at 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Rupp, Derrick, Ritz or True – Which One Goes Home Devastated?

By LetsRun.com
June 17, 2013

Galen Rupp, Chris Derrick, Dathan Ritzenhein, Ben True.

One of these supremely talented and in-form men will not be competing in the 10,000 meters at the 2013 Moscow World Track and Field Championships. That is the story line for the men’s 10,000 final which takes place Thursday night at the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Has there ever been a US champs where four men enter the US champs 10,000 with a sub-13:15 5,000 seasonal best as is the case this year?

No there has not.

The depth of the field is unprecedented and one very accomplished man will be unhappy at the end of Thursday night.

Of the four, one would think 2012 Olympic silver medallist Galen Rupp would be as close to a lock as you can get. However, in the Prefontaine Classic 5000, Rupp was behind both Derrick and Ritzenhein with 200 meters remaining so nothing is 100% assured.

Assuming Rupp makes it, choosing the odd man out between Derrick, Ritz, and True is next to impossible.

Below we list what each of them has done this year as well as their career best times and age.

Chris Derrick – 1st at USA XC in Feb (beat True and Ritz), 13:12 indoor 5000 in March, 10th at world cross country in March (lost to True), 13:09 at Pre in June (beat Ritz).
PBs/Age: 13:09/27:31. 22 years young.

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Dathan Ritzenhein – 2nd USA XC in Feb (lost to Derrick, beat True), 13:17 at USATF High Performance in May, 13:09 at Pre in June (lost to Derrick).
PBs/Age: 12:56/27:22. 30 years old.

Ben True – 5th USA XC in Feb (lost to Derrick and Ritz), 6th at world cross country in March (beat Derrick), 1st in 13:14 at Stanford in April, 4th in 13:16 at adidas GP in May.
PBs/Age: 13:14/27:41 27 years old.

Last Year’s Olympic 10,000 Team for the US *More 2012 Olympic Trials Coverage Here

Derrick may be the safest bet of the three guys outside of Rupp. Yes Ritz beat Derrick for the third and final spot at last year’s Olympic Trials but Derrick is eight years younger and certainly coming into his prime, whereas Ritz is now in his 30s.

Derrick also has the best 1500 pb of the three (3:39 versus 3:40 for True, 3:42 for Ritz), but to us a kick doesn’t come down to flat out foot speed.

We like Derrick in a kick because at last year’s Olympic Trials he closed the best of anyone (62.34), even better than Rupp (63.07). For comparison sake, Ritz, who beat Derrick for the third spot (Derrick was 4th), closed in 67.50 and True closed in 65.08, but was 22 seconds behind Ritz. Derrick also beat Ritz in the 5000 at Prefontaine on June 1. If Ritz doesn’t break away from Derrick, we don’t see Ritz outkicking him on the last lap.

In choosing between Ritz and True, Ritz definitely has the pedigree, but True is enjoying a career year.

Using the transitive property, this race is going to be very close. Ritz and True haven’t raced head to head on the track but they both did recently race 2011 world 10,000 Ibrahim Jeilan in a 5000 a week apart.

In New York, True lost to Jeilan by just .48. A week later at Pre, Ritz lost to him by .37.

Quick Take (QT) #1: On an objectively level, we say pick Ritz as it’s clear he’s coming into his best form of the year. However, there isn’t much separating these guys so feel free to go with your emotions.

If you like under-dogs, then True has to be your pick. It’s hard not to pull for the Saucony sponsored athlete who trains alone in New Hampshire.

Do you like favorites? Do you root for the Yankee or Lakers? Then Ritz is your man. Additionally, there are a lot of sentimentalists who want to see the former 12:56 performer Ritz have one last go at a global championships on the track before he sticks to the marathon full time.

QT #2: We didn’t mention Matt Tegenkamp in our preview because earlier he said he wasn’t running the 10,000 at USAs and was focusing on the road now. But he’s currently declared, and if he he does run it, then he can’t be discounted as he’s never not made a US team that he’s tried out for since 2006 (LRC note: Inititally we said he’d never missed a US team but that was wrong. Teg didn’t make the team in the 5000 in 2005 after his last collegiate season at Wisco).

If he doesn’t run th meet, we’re not going to be happy as he’ll have kept someone out of the meet by declaring.

QT #3: Last year’s Olympic Trials was run in the rain. The weather in Des Moines is going to be a lot different – very hot. It might still be 80 degrees when this race gets under way. It may come down to who is the best hot weather runner.

For some people running in the heat is a totally different sport. Not sure if picking a 10,000 team in hot conditions is the best idea for Moscow as many people probably don’t realize that usually it’s not very hot in Moscow in the summer. The average daily high for August 10th – the day of the 10,000 final in Moscow – is just 75.

QT #4: Given the heat, if two of the Big 4 pull a Jordan Hasay and struggle in the heat, then don’t forget Ryan Vail or Aaron Braun or Bobby Curtis as a real long shot pick.

More: Vote in our poll on the homepage as to who you think won’t make it, then tell us why in the messageboard:

MB: Rupp, Derrick, Ritz or True – Which One Goes Home Devastated?
MB: 2013 USA’s men’s 10000m
MB: Congratulations Matt Tegenkamp

LRC 2012 US Olympic Trials 10,000 Recap: Galen Rupp Puts On A Clinic As The Sub-13 Guys Punch Their Tickets To London
LRC 2013 adidas Grand Prix Men’s 5000 Recap
LRC 2013 Prefontaine Classic Men’s 5000 Recap

LRC Re-Live LetRun.com’s Complete Coverage of 2012 US Olympic Trials

10,000 A Qualifiers (27:40.00) – dating to January 1, 2012

1.  27:25.33               Galen Rupp                          OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun  2012
2. 27:31.38               Chris Derrick                      Jordan       Stanford CA               29 Apr 2012
3. 27:33.94               Matt Tegenkamp                     OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun 2012
4. 27:36.09               Dathan Ritzenhein                  OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun  2012
5. Ben True for finishing top 15 at World XC.

B Qualifiers (28:05.00) (We scratched out guys not entered)

1. 27:40.21               Brent Vaughn                        Jordan       Stanford CA          29 Apr  2012
2. 27:41.54               Aaron Braun                        OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun 2012
3. 27:43.96               Joseph Chirlee                     Wageningen                30 May 2012
4. 27:44.05               Ryan Vail                          Jordan       Stanford CA               28 Apr 2013
5. 27:50.58               Brian Olinger                       Jordan       Stanford CA               29 Apr 2012
6.  27:50.78               Sean Quigley                        Jordan       Stanford CA               28 Apr 2013
7. 27:53.52               Bobby Mack                         Jordan       Stanford CA               29 Apr 28:11.00
8. 27:56.62               Luke Puskedra                       OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun 28:33.47
9. 27:56.78               Andrew Bumbalough                  Jordan       Stanford CA           28 Apr  2013
10. 27:58.48               Bobby Curtis                       OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun 27:24.67
11. 27:59.22               Christo Landry                           Jordan       Stanford CA               28 Apr2013
12.  27:59.04               Hassan Mead                        OT           Eugene OR                 22 Jun2012

Full List of Entrants

More: Women’s 10,000m Preview: Flanagan and Goucher Return to the Track Vs Hastings, Uhl and Hasay