USATF 3000m: Lagat, 7:57.17, Rupp 7:59.91

Lagat has done this for a long time. In addition to this race and World Indoor last year, he did the same thing at the World Cup 3k and 5k at the end of last summer. Rupp lacks the finishing speed necessary to win a top level 3k, 5k or 10k. He's very good by American standards but if Solinsky can walk him down and beat him by about 10 seconds in the last 800m of his first 10000m, then how is Rupp ever going to win any top class event?

You ask a very good question, very unusual for the typical LR poster. First off, Rupp can't fly in the day before from a trip to/from New Zealand and expect to be at his best. Secondly, Rupp does have to run at the top of his game, and at the 10K distance to expect to beat the best. Finally, regardless of the odds against him, Rupp is arguably the best the US has to offer in a given race, and I believe he does give it his best when he is healthy and properly prepared. Entering this USATF 3K at the last minute is not what I call properly prepared. All said, I give kudos for Rupp...and as the OP should have said..."Rupp crushes everyone except the former World Champion at 3K".

More importantly Lagat is the reigning World 3k champ not just a former champ...yes its semantics but its important to note.

Hypothetical-potential-Rupp is still the WR holder.

Why was trevor dunbar in this?

Heard through the grapevine wrote:

There's not an American runner you could name who could have outkicked Lagat today.

There's not a Bernard Lagat you could name that was born in America either.

jjjjjjjj wrote:

Rupp lacks the finishing speed necessary to win a top level 3k, 5k or 10k. He's very good by American standards but if Solinsky can walk him down and beat him by about 10 seconds in the last 800m of his first 10000m, then how is Rupp ever going to win any top class event?

Solinsky ran out of his mind in that 10K, while Rupp paid for doing a lot of the work after the pacer dropped out, and faded badly at the end. But I'm not sure that one race says everything about finishing speed. Rupp did outkick Solinsky in this race last year, when the pace was even slower (I think it was won in about 8:10).

jimbob1133 wrote:

it was a 3K and he didn't destroy him, he beat him by 2 seconds. Of course you will do anything to discredit Galen though so whatever...

Rupp's done very little true speedwork. Lagat is getting old and you heard it here, Rupp will run faster over 5k this season than Lagat. Unless Bernie is allowed to keep doping lol, false positive,sure.

only amercian that would have had a shot to beat lagat in this 3k would have been andrew wheating.

people don't see this but i do...

yeah wheating isn't a 3k runner, has never run a 3k but with being americas top 1500m runner and who is also known for having a strong finishing kick i think he would have had the best shot

that slow pace would have been perfect for wheating to hang on then when lagat and rupp went with 600 to go he would have stayed with them just like braun did.

but.. when bernie charged that last 200 in 26 wheating could have matched that. i could see them neck and neck down the home stretch with wheating out-leaning him at the line. and then throwing up a huge fist pump. tell me this ain't possible?

I was fortunate enough to be there tonight. Lagat is clearly superior, but Rupp did what he had to do to win. He tried to take Lagat's kick out of him. Unfortunately for Rupp that tactic is impossible right now. I don't know if anyone on the planet can do that to Lagat over 3K right now.

I think Rupp needs more raw speed right now. And a little bit more strength also. If Rupp can find another gear through more speed, he can challenge Lagat, and the rest of the world.

On a side note, I loved watching my boys watch the race, and the autographs and pictures with Lagat and Rupp after the race! Great guys!

haywood jablome wrote:

only amercian that would have had a shot to beat lagat in this 3k would have been andrew wheating.

people don't see this but i do...

yeah wheating isn't a 3k runner, has never run a 3k but with being americas top 1500m runner and who is also known for having a strong finishing kick i think he would have had the best shot

that slow pace would have been perfect for wheating to hang on then when lagat and rupp went with 600 to go he would have stayed with them just like braun did.

but.. when bernie charged that last 200 in 26 wheating could have matched that. i could see them neck and neck down the home stretch with wheating out-leaning him at the line. and then throwing up a huge fist pump. tell me this ain't possible?

Oh please. Wheating would get his ass kicked in a 3k too if he was to face Lagat. Lagat is one of the best in the world at this distance. This man has beaten EL G in the 1500m and Bekele in the 5000m. Just face it. No american runner can touch him at this distance at the moment and from the looks of it,he doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Crazy to think that Webb would consistently outkick Lagat from 2005 (Ostrava) - 2007 (every meet but the World Championships).

oh please. You lil faggy u know damn well wheating (in a tactical race like usa's) would have the best chance OF beating lagat compared to every other naturally born american distance runner.

what happened in monaco in that 1500 huh? where was lagats kick when he saw wheating ahead? i know lagat is moving up in distance but still he got beat by wheating by a good 2-3 seconds.

lagat was all on wheatings nuts after that race cuz he just realized their was no way he'd EVER win another us title in the 1500, which i think helped him to focus solely on the 5k instead of both like he had been doing.

wheating could outkick lagat in that 3k, and lagat would be going all out to keep up. i know wheating has lost some races in a kick to someone like robby andrews, but i think he wouldn't let lagat beat him.

so shut the eff up dude.

There really is nothing that Rupp could have done to beat Lagat.

Lagat has fended off the best at all paces at all distances.

Rupp will get faster and have some great races , he knows what he has to do to win , now he just has to do it.

There's not much Rupp can do. Lagat is way better than he is, and still likes to win.

Lagat is way better than a lot of people.

Rupp is better than some, but Lagat is not one of them.

Agree. I think that Rupp had no chance. He had just flew in from NZ. Also he is a 10K guy who was training for a 10K!! Give him a break, he ran his hardest, enough said... and for Wheating. He could easily have beaten Lagat last night. The pace was easily slow enough to stay with Rupp and Lagat and then to stay with Lagat to the last straight.

Wrong. If a kicker like Wheating were in the race Lagat would've pushed the pace, just like Rupp and Braun should've done to beat Lagat. Lagat was clearly in a class of his own at the end of that race. Rupp didn't even have a moment to counter the move before Lagat had a two or three stride gap. Rupp is a brilliant runner, but Lagat is really one of the top handful of middle distance runners on the planet right now.

I agree with the guys who are fawning over Wheating that he appears, based on one damned fast 1500 at the end of last year, to be the best chance in the USA to get a mid-distance/distance medal in 2012. But to say that "he could easily have beaten Lagat," is ridiculous exaggeration. A handful of people have beaten Lagat in championship races in the past decade or more, and I'd be surprised if any of them thought it was easy.

Well, Rupp knows he needs to work on closing speed to beat guys like Lagat. Rupp shouldn't feel he was "destroyed." He needs to figure out if there's a strategy that might work; like a Pre-style run from the front and kill everyone if possible.