Sorry, Rupp's 5000 does NOT NO WAY convert to 8:30 for 2 miles. The previous poster had it right with Galen's 3000
meter record. 8:03.67, does NOT get it done, 218 1/2 meters to go.....8:41 or so. Also I met Jeff Nelson at the Gerry Lindgren 2 mile in Salt lake last April. I had to help out with the race. We talked for 1 hour, that guy is one humble and gentle guy. He said he loved to run in Highschool and hit 8:42 and knew he could go much faster. He said in the record run they hit 4:12 at the mile which was is fastest mile time to that date. The 8:36.3 he said to him and others was no big deal. He said it was just NOT some big deal like today. He was not attempting to do anything. Then his wife and 2 children came over and I said to his (10ish looking son) do you know what your dad did? He ran 2 miles and hundreds of thousands of guys for 25 years have not been able to break his time. His boy looked at him and stood in front of him and his wife snapped her head in his direction with this smile of disbelief. I said "This is why we are here today to try to, break your Dads record". His son said (and I swear to God!) "My Dad did the fastest ever?" "Can they run faster today?" I just told him No your Dad stands alone, no one is going to even come close. I tryed to get something out of Jeff concerning Salazar pushing him around etc. Jeff would not say one negative thing at all, he even said Salazar was great runner. He just said it was such a change to College, and then he got hurt and it "Just wasn't fun anymore". He laughed about how stupid we were back then, he said he never ate a thing, never drank water.."I didn't know anything about nutrition I just drank big gulps!" He was very quiet guy. He just did say that when he hit 8:41 one time, they had this big interview and asked him if he could break 8:40. he just said I thought "Yea I can go into the 8:30's .."but I thought it was just kind of a question for me alone, can you run faster, I had no idea that I was moving into such a great time or something, no buddy really cared that much." What could he have done with all the hype Rupp has had, with target records to look at, technology of today, tracks of today, coaches of today and equipment. Bottom line I think he was a great guy...I won't even mention the training he did...you would not believe it...he just loved to run!