BREAKING: Matt Tegenkamp retires from pro running!

Localite wrote:

Followed his career closely as another KC runner. Couldn't have been nicer in my interactions with him, but clearly could turn on the fire in training/races.

He was a good lean from a WC bronze.

Always thought he ran too hard in the prelims at Beijing. Seriously wish someone had the video of that heat. He was kicking down Bekele for no reason. Impressive but he didn't have it in the final.

Lots of good US champs races where Lagat always seemed to gun him down.

Not sure if he didn't have the confidence to go with the break or if he just had a mad finish, but he always seemed to come from behind and run people down in his PRs.

**wasn't specific enough - it was little Bekele (and Kipchoge) that he ran down in the prelims for no reason but looked really strong/comfortable. Can't find the video but here are results and a picture:

Teg don't retire from no 10k!

Before picking apart Teg's races, remember that he beat Tariku Bekele and a guy named "Mo" in 2007 and pushed some of the greatest 5k runners of all time to their limits (Kipchoge, Lagat, Kipsorio). That race was really the turning point for US distance running where everyone saw that it was possible to really compete with the E. Africans. Teg was a fearless racer and inspired a revival in US distance running.

345elmore wrote:

Who's gonna represent the ginger elite athlete community now?

The Rosa twins.

Triathlete Tommy wrote:

agip wrote:

he always seemed like a good guy who got 100% out of himself. Smart racer.

one of us.

" He's white "

YOU are part of the problem with racism, Tommy. Not a thing was mentioned about color.

Dr. Steve Brule wrote:

JARY Shoemahkur wrote:

Full story here:

http://bit.ly/1m8c1SP

Discuss!

"Saying that he wasn’t willing to give 105% in preparing for this month’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Matt Tegenkamp, a member of two Olympic and three World Championship teams, has ended his professional running career."

A class act, a great competitor, and someone who was on top of his game for 15 years. I think in time we will come to respect his range and his longevity. How many other 2:12 guys ran 3:34???:

1500m 3:34.25

1 Mile 3:56.38

3000m 7:34.98i

2 Mile 8:07.07 (AR)

5000m 12:58.56

10000m 27:28.22

Half-Marathon 1:02.04

Marathon 2:12.28

Maybe we should get what I estimate about half of american distance elites to do, retire. Their main focus is to get a contract and be the top american.

Matt was tireless in his pursuit to compete. Many of our elite are tireless in social media posts instead of posting up quality training and racing.

Matt earned respect.

(Steve Brule. Hilarious, by the way!)Teg was amazing and certainly one of my all-time favorite US runners.Seems like a smart dude who understands he has a lot of life ahead of him.look at those amazing PB's!

Dr. Steve Brule wrote:

JARY Shoemahkur wrote:

Full story here:

http://bit.ly/1m8c1SP

Discuss!

"Saying that he wasn’t willing to give 105% in preparing for this month’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Matt Tegenkamp, a member of two Olympic and three World Championship teams, has ended his professional running career."

A class act, a great competitor, and someone who was on top of his game for 15 years. I think in time we will come to respect his range and his longevity. How many other 2:12 guys ran 3:34???:

1500m 3:34.25

1 Mile 3:56.38

3000m 7:34.98i

2 Mile 8:07.07 (AR)

5000m 12:58.56

10000m 27:28.22

Half-Marathon 1:02.04

Marathon 2:12.28

Im sure Jenkins is a ginger - disguises it well.

This is a pure copy paste from a thread a while ago, but it should be noted:

I know this comparison has been made before but I think it's relevant right now so forgive me for beating it to death. Farah and Tegenkamp. Here's a comparison from before Mo went to the NOP in 2011.

Matt Tegenkamp - born Jan '82

PR's

1500 Metres 3:34.25 Atha (Olympic Stadium) 02 JUL 2007

3000 Metres 7:34.98 Monaco (Stade Louis II) 20 AUG 2006

5000 Metres 12:58.56 Bruxelles (Boudewijnstadion) 04 SEP 2009

Finished fourth and eighth at the 07 and 09 WC's and thirteenth at the 08 Olympics (all in the 5k).

Mo Farah - born March '83

PR's

1500 Metres 3:33.98 Monaco (Stade Louis II) 28 JUL 2009

3000 Metres 7:38.15 Zagreb 31 AUG 2006

5000 Metres 12:57.94 Zurich 19 AUG 2010

10000 Metres 27:28.86 Marseille 05 JUN 2010

Finished sixth and seventh at the 07 and 09 WC's and did not make it out of the heats at the 08 Olympics (all in the 5k).

I didn't list Teg's U.S. finishes or Mo's Euro finishes but they have similar accomplishments there as well.

These numbers show two very similar athletes. Obviously there's a great deal of information that copy and pasting off of IAAF profiles doesn't account for but I think the basic comparison makes sense. Two athletes with a little over a year age difference, running similar times, with similar finishes at worlds and the Olympics. Then Mo goes to Salazar and it goes straight out the window. He becomes unbeatable on the world scene. Literally unbeatable. I think we in the U.S. underestimate how big a jump he made because he wasn't so much on people's radar over here before the NOP move. Imagine if Tegenkamp got that good all of a sudden? Just blasting fields in the last lap and talking about how Alberto was helping him work on his core strength and sprint form? "Like good thing I've been doing abs on the stability ball with Galen or I wouldn't have been able to shit on the Bekele brothers any time, any place, over any distance on the track." Come on.

Obviously there could be other explanations other than Mo doping. It's just another little suspicious thing that doesn't mean anything in exclusivity, but what you see it along with the constantly growing mess of rumors, allegations, and evidence, makes the NOP look really bad. Someone asked why one group gets more grief than the other. It's because one group way more suspicious.

We are likely to write an article where we highligh tthe top 5-6 moments of his careers. We are looking for nominations.

His sub-13.

His 4th place At Worlds

Those two jump out at me. What else?

I assume US 2-mile record.

Any NCAA races?

Sorry about the foreign commentary, but here's that 2007 World Championships final. Last 800 went in about 1:52 (:58/:54)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGnyDZVaWR0&feature=share

You definitely need to include his 2009 US title at 5,000 meters. The Wisconsin trifecta finish of Teg, Solinsky and Jager was an amazing race.

nikeman wrote:

You definitely need to include his 2009 US title at 5,000 meters. The Wisconsin trifecta finish of Teg, Solinsky and Jager was an amazing race.

Amen. That was a great race. And all-three are going to go down as all-time greats in American running lore.

Teg's 13:04 in Stockholm might be on the list as well. He was just inside the top-10 I think, but it was a huge PR, and the first American under 13:10 in quite some time. It gave him credentials heading into the 07 World Championships.

rojo wrote:

We are likely to write an article where we highligh tthe top 5-6 moments of his careers. We are looking for nominations.

His sub-13.

His 4th place At Worlds

Those two jump out at me. What else?

I assume US 2-mile record.

Any NCAA races?

His 5th at world junior cross stands out to me. Guys like Justyn Knight and dozens of other STUDS finish in the 20-40 range. Teg and Ritz's performance that year was INSANE. And remember, it was Bekele who won. Bekele is a top 1-3 XC guy ever IMO.

"Don't you mean how many 3:34 guys only ran 2:12?"

I can't name a single American 3:34 runner who ran 2:12. There might be one, or two, but I can't think of one.

I can name a handful of international runners, but not many: Dixon, Quax (not sure Quax ran 3:34, but he was close), Farrah, Geb, and Bekele. I'm sure there's a few more, but that's all I can come up with.

Dr. Steve Brule wrote:

A class act, a great competitor, and someone who was on top of his game for 15 years. I think in time we will come to respect his range and his longevity. How many other 2:12 guys ran 3:34???:

1500m 3:34.25

1 Mile 3:56.38

3000m 7:34.98i

2 Mile 8:07.07 (AR)

5000m 12:58.56

10000m 27:28.22

Half-Marathon 1:02.04

Marathon 2:12.28

Matt Gabrielson has similar range. Not bad for a guy from a rural Iowa community of 2000 people who played HS FB (didn't run XC) and only did track over golf upon the recommendation of the basketball coach.

1500m 3:41

1 Mile 4:02

3000m 7:54i

5000m 13:32

10000m 28:44

Half-Marathon 1:03:44

Marathon 2:13:28

He's now coaching at Edina.

Precious Roy wrote:

Before picking apart Teg's races, remember that he beat Tariku Bekele and a guy named "Mo" in 2007 and pushed some of the greatest 5k runners of all time to their limits (Kipchoge, Lagat, Kipsorio). That race was really the turning point for US distance running where everyone saw that it was possible to really compete with the E. Africans. Teg was a fearless racer and inspired a revival in US distance running.

Teg got 4th in one of the slowest finals of all time and was always coming from behind. Fearless is not the word I would use to describe his racing.

blatter wrote:

"Don't you mean how many 3:34 guys only ran 2:12?"

I can't name a single American 3:34 runner who ran 2:12. There might be one, or two, but I can't think of one.

I can name a handful of international runners, but not many: Dixon, Quax (not sure Quax ran 3:34, but he was close), Farrah, Geb, and Bekele. I'm sure there's a few more, but that's all I can come up with.

Eliud Kipchoge, perhaps?

rojo wrote:

We are likely to write an article where we highligh tthe top 5-6 moments of his careers. We are looking for nominations.

His sub-13.

His 4th place At Worlds

Those two jump out at me. What else?

I assume US 2-mile record.

Any NCAA races?