RIP to Galen Rupp's chances for the 2028 Olympic Team

Don't count him out yet! He's building slowly. If he continues his progress, he could nab that third Olympic spot. He has the experience to do really well at the Olympics as well where countries can only send top 3.

Who from the 2003 Youth World Championship is still competing other than Rupp?

What is the AR for Masters?

Who cares?

Elkanah Kibet

2:10:02 for 4th at the ‘24 trials.

Don’t forget Abdi was a marathon Olympian at age

44.

At least his chances didn't go home devastated.

Congrats on him still getting paid to run.

All the times are wind aided. Closer to 2:10, and still top-notch for a Masters guy.

Meb was a master at strategy.

Accusing OTHERS of doing on a Rupp thread is a bold choice.

I was surprised he did this well. If he can stay healthy, he could be a contender in 2028, but, unfortunately, I don't think he'll stay healthy long enough.

I'll be honest. I don't see any path for Galen Rupp to make the team barring multiple injuries and blowups at the Trials. Rupp finished next to Jacob Thomson. Solid runner, but nobody is calling Thomson a contender at the trials.

At a minimum, the guys with better odds that Rupp are (in no particular order)

1) Mantz

2) Hicks

3) Talbi

4) Young

5) Klecker

6) Ford

Guys who I personally think have better odds

1) Alex Maier

2) Casey Clinger

4 Americans just ran between 2:08- low 2:10 in Seville (Fischer, Lara, Colley, and Mesfun). Shuley ran 2:07 in Tokyo. Hillary Bor ran 2:08 in Rotterdam.

At this point, Rupp is just one of many guys who can run 2:08-2:10.

Bekele ran 2:04 at 41 (about to turn 42)

He was the 8th fastest American yesterday including being three minutes behind third guy, and doesn’t have a prayer of making the 2028 team. The two years between 41 and 43, will not be kind to him.

Given his age, 2:08 was an outstanding race for him, but he’s not going to make any teams in the future.

He’s been getting out of bed and going for a run for about 25 years, so I don’t think he needs Olympic dreams to continue to do so, Does he have a day job?

Rupp is in the midst of a comeback, that may be exceeding his wildest expectations. as of today.

Rupp was 2 min 30 off being 3rd american.

While still a longshot, a good training block puts him in the conversation.

The next race is tell tale, if he is really on the mend, and putting in the next level work, which is the work he did back in the day. lots of cross training yogaish type stuff. correcting the form.

This is a good post. But he also just lost to Haftu Knight and Wesley Kiptoo. He was 8th American in Boston. That's down from 4th American in Chicago, albeit against a much weaker field. So those who keep saying "he's building towards something", it's not clear that he's becoming more competitive over time. Even a guy like Biya, who beat Rupp in the Houston Half 2026 (and the 2024 Trials), could beat Rupp on a good day.

US Marathoning is deeper than it's ever been. It's not necessarily as competitive as it's ever been on the high end, we don't have a guy who would compete to win majors. But there are more people competitive for 2nd or 3rd American on any given day. It's deeper when Meb made the team, when Abdi made the team, that's why I think those are bad comparisons. Meb and Abdi needed one or two guys to have an off day, or a nagging injury. Rupp needs half a dozen people to be injured and another half dozen to have a bad day. We don't even know at this point, could Isai Rodriguez, Dylan Schubert move to the marathon? Even Grant Fisher hasn't ruled out the Marathon.

I appreciate the fantastic work that Rupp has done for US distance running, he's in a small group of runners and the only active runner who is even in the conversation for US distance GOAT. But I think the constant fixation with Rupp is really missing what's going on now in US marathoning. I think it's sort of no different from fixating on say, CJ Albertson or Leonard Korir. All those were players for the 2024 cycle, but this cycle is full of new faces and there are faces we haven't even met yet. I'd rather focus on that.

Rupp is not Bekele. Love that he's still running fast and that he's pretty healthy, but as a fan of US marathoning, there is no way I or any fan should want to see Rupp on the team. We finally have a solid group of guys that might be able to hang with the best in the world. We need three from that group if we want someone to have a shot at a podium spot in LA, not a 42 year old who might be able to break 2:08.