I believe he will try to start training for the 10k, if he believes he can stay healthy and be fast enough to have a chance at making the team.
Does he even have a Trials qualifier?
Only he will know if he has a chance to be competitive in the10k.. He will probably train for this privately and no one else will know. He will know within a couple months if he should still continue with 10k training. We may never know if he gives it a shot and then decides not to continue.
More likely is he will end up training for and getting an appearance fee at some fall marathon. But he will not run if he does not believe he can do well. Even if that does not go well and he is still game, he could take another shot at a spring marathon.
The clock is ticking and we may only get to enjoy talking about Rupp as a top competitor for another year or less.
I believe its possible we saw Rupp run his last race. Credit to him for finishing, but he does not seem like the type to show up just to participate and finish 16th. He may have only finished knowing that this might have been his last race.
I believe he wants to win and he will not continue running if he can only run 2:10 or so. When you have been at the top like he has there is not much incentive to try to compete at a lesser level. He is not going to show up just for appearance fees
I do not see Rupp continuing to run races into his old age. I can't see him going into ultras, trail racing, or cherry picking national class domestic road races. He will probably not go for masters marks. He has nothing to prove in running and he was not adventurous enough to pursue world XC when he was at the top of his game. He has been near the top of the sport for a long time. He may continue to run on his own some for fitness or enjoyment.
Runners who spend a lot of time focusing on biomechanics, muscle engagement and just getting healthy do not remain in the sport as competitive runners very long. Top athletes want to train hard and compete well, not rehab.
no. there is no point in doing that. he would get smoked in any race. he needs to retire. i'm sure nike will make up a job for him since he has no job experience.
He looks pretty cooked. He had a great career but it seems like he is torturing himself these days. If it hurts (like aches and pains) every time you run, it is time to hang them up. If it doesn't hurt, then maybe he should train to run (and win) all the iconic races he has not had time to do as a pro... cross nationals, famous road races, trail races, etc.
Galen should coach when he retires. Maybe coach U of O.
This crossed my mind also, but he has too much negative baggage & it would turn into S Brosnan 2.
So how about coaching a pro marathon team, give back to the sport maybe put team USA back on the map. Well he knows all to well that we can’t compete with the bio mechanics of the East Africans & doping is essential - that is something he can't be associated with.
You call that very hot? Obviously you've never been in Orlando on the summer. Stop making excuses for him. He's done. He had his good career and should be retiring soon.
He would have to run sub-27:00. Maybe with the super-shoes, plus full-time focus on the track, he could do it. It's a long shot, but on the bright side, if he could hit the 27:00 standard (likely required), he would probably have a guaranteed spot since we might not even send 3.
I always feel like these ex track guys that become great marathoners would have a huge advantage dropping back down to 10k with perhaps a few 3-5 months of specific training? Highly theoretical, but basically you are super talented and have this monstrous marathon base..(and have shown ability on track before), essentially maxing out the aerobic side. Then you come back to the 10K? I can see why it wouldn't translate to the 1500, but an ex-great track guy with the ultimate base? Seems like physiologically it would work to your advantage.
I've always thought Rupp's natural ability falls in this order: 10k, 5k, marathon, 1500
However, I think the window is closed for one of the greatest runners in U.S. history to make a 4th Olympic team. It would be fun to see him one last time at the 10k trials and finish top 8.
He simply lacks the ability to train like he did for the 10k. We saw a rapid decline after 2015/2016 in track 10k ability. He was also training with a vastly superior teammate/competitor and had nearly everything catered to for his recovery, nutrition, and the like. You think after NOP was torn to the ground that he got to keep all of those fancy gadgets and people around? He trains alone now for the most part, his days of running 26:40-27:20 are long gone. His days of 27:30s are also going along right behind that. He is no longer able to run 52's or kick like a monster anymore. That time from 2012-2014 there were a handful of runners in the world that could beat him over the last 400-600m, nowadays he would be hard pressed to get to the starting line healthy, in shape, and ready to run. He hasn't run the 5k since January of 2018. The truth is there, he was very very good for the time but that time is gone and the sport has moved on without him. I may be his biggest supporter and fan but if you truly believe he is gonna be there and competitive for the 10k you are sadly mistaken.
But if he hits a qualifying mark and is still enjoying the competition, why not? What does he have to lose?
He could piggyback off his training for a marathon, sure. Bigger paycheck. But I think would be inspiring to see him race in the 10,000. It would be awesome to see him lining up next to Grant Fisher, Woody, etc.
To me, this race was the official end of the Rupp era. He demonstrated he is no longer a contender in American distance running. He has not put together a decent race in a while now. He had a great career, a legendary career. But age catches up with everyone eventually. For whatever reason, it came to Rupp earlier than some.
For the 10k yes. But I’m not ready to write off Rupp in the marathon just yet. He’s only 37. Everyone thought Meb was done after he failed to make the team 2008. After that all he did was win New York, win another Trials, fourth at Olympics, win Boston and then second at another trials. Rupp finishing top 3 at Boston or Chicago, or making the team in 2028 would not surprise me at all. Not saying it will happen, but it’s still too early to tell.
I agree with the general consensus that his time at the top of American marathoning is over. Too many young studs have eclipsed him at this point. He could pull a Meb/Abdi and have some solid races to keep out there for another 1-3 years if he could get and stay healthy but he's hardwired to go for a win, not to eek out a top-10 finish.
I'd love to see him have one more solid race where he showed up at what his true current peak could be and then trade in the Vaporfly's for a full time gig commentating because hot damn he did a good job with that at New York last year.
Answer is no. He is not competitive enough to contend for 10k anymore. Even if he could hang to the final 800 (which I don’t think he can), he’s getting his doors blown off from there to the finish.
To me, this race was the official end of the Rupp era. He demonstrated he is no longer a contender in American distance running. He has not put together a decent race in a while now. He had a great career, a legendary career. But age catches up with everyone eventually. For whatever reason, it came to Rupp earlier than some.
I expect him to show up here and there for a couple more years, then announce his final race at somewhere like Chicago, then retire.
It came to Rupp earlier than some? Are you kidding me? He has been running at a very high level for nearly 20 years. You have no idea what you are talking about
What baggage does Galen have? The current U of Coach had an athlete test positive for nandrolone and it didn’t seem to phase the powers at be in Eugene
I mean, Rupp competed in the Olympic Trials 10,000 in 2021 after already making the marathon team. He wasn't competitive. The field obliterated him on the last lap. It's up to Rupp if he wants to give it a shot, but his chances are slim.