Rupp vs Levins vs Lagat vs Derrick in Pre Classic 5000m

Has Levins been training with Rupp and Salazar?

His 3000m in 7:46 will be the split time he needs to be in contention.

NOP follower wrote:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2013/05/uss-bernard-lagat-and-galen-rupp-face-the-world-in-prefontaine-classic-5000/

Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) 13:20.54

This is bound to come down. Dude has run a 26:55 10,000!

Lagat's 7:34.71 3K in Karlsruhe shows he was in great shape back in February. According to IAAF scoring tables this is equivalent to a ~13:00 5k, so he was likely in sub 13 shape for an outdoor 5k back then with an evenly paced race (he only closed the indoor 3k with a 58).

Derrick had a strong showing in XC and ran that 13:12, but he was dropped pretty hard by Lomong. It'd be very shocking to see him beat Lagat...However, I think they'll both hang on until the kick/last 800m. I see Lagat just dipping under 13 and Derrick being around 13:02-4.

Let's not forget Lagat was 4th in the Olympic 5k last year, and missed a bronze because he was tripped up by another athlete on the last turn. He's not a world beater anymore, but he ain't dead yet either.

He ran 3:54 for his split this year in the 1600m, not 3:58. I'd say that's pretty good for a DMR relay split.

Could he suck? Sure - lots of things are possible. I wouldn't even give Derrick a 5% chance of beating him (barring a fall), though.

Dennis Reynolds wrote:

Canada Coach wrote:

[quote]anbwhdgas wrote:

Maybe Rupp and Lagat deserve to be in the thread title, but Derrick and Levins will do well to make the top 10.

11th at the Olympics in the 10,000 and the 2nd North American doesn't get you in the Pre-Classic? Give your head a shake. Leavins gets in easily.

This is a 5000m, not a 10000m. Should Levins also get in the 800 or 1500 based on 10000m accomplishments?

So the meet organizers should drop Levins in the 5000m in favour of some nameless 13:05 Kenyan or Epopian? Yep, that's saavy marketing. They'll sell way more tickets and generate way more local buzz by have Generic African #32 in the meet rather than Cam MF Levins.

For comparison, the Oxy 5000m.

DIEGO BORREGO 13:27.26 13:38:00 ZATOPEK

Forest Braden 13:37.90 13:37.90 Bruin B

Aaron Braun 13:20.25 13:20.25 adidas

Bobby Curtis 13:18.00 13:18.00 Hansons-

Lee Emanuel 13:31.56 7:51i 3K New Bal

Mo Farah 12:53.11 12:56.98 Nike Ore

Rory Fraser 13:24.07 13:24.07 Bowerma

Stephen Furst 13:29.05 13:50.95 adidas

Arne Gabius 13:13.43 13:13.43

Mauricio Gonzalez 13:32.44 13:32.44 Porveni

Cam Levins 13:18.29 13:18.29 Nike

Tonny Okello 13:33.19 13:33.19 Santa Mo

Luke Puskedra 13:46.52 14:01.03 Nike OR

Dathan Ritzenhein 12:56.27 13:14.72 Nike OR

Galen Rupp 12:58.90 12:58.90 Nike Ore

Chris Solinsky 12:55.53 13:23.62 Nike

Ben St Lawrence 13.10.08 13.37.35 New Bal

Joe Stilin 13:38.36 13:40.04 unattac

Colton Tully-Doyle 13:43 (7:53 3k) Brooks B

Aldo Vega 13:39.37 13:41.73 unattac

Andy Wacker 13:41.45 13:41.45 BRC/Adi

Alan Webb 13:10.86 13:49.70 Nike

Montesquieu wrote:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image11http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image8

Big props to the little dude in the Asics gear...anyone know who he is? Mo's training partner?

With the Salazar hat?

One last thing, I had no idea how ripped Ritz is now:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image11

Who is the dude on the far left of this pic? Anyone know?

Lagat winning a 3rd world indoor 3000m title in 2012, beating Mo Farah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKBiz3wVgug

Lagat winning a 1500m race in New York last year, closing a 3:34 race with a 53 last lap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wZEdVx3fZI

Lagat setting a new 2 mile AR in 8:09.49, running the last mile solo in 4:02ish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RomJAdCH8XE

Lagat winning a 3000m race in Europe while running the last 1000m way out by himself, clocking 7:34, a mere 2 seconds off from his old AR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8SrGRnY3jI

Anyone still think Lagat is off his game?

On another thread someone mentioned that the guy had been training with Jama Aden's training group in Ethiopia this winter, but he didn't know his name. In any case, my guess is he's being paid to be a pacer for the Oregon Project's track workouts.

noseeum wrote:

One last thing, I had no idea how ripped Ritz is now:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image11

Who is the dude on the far left of this pic? Anyone know?

Montesquieu wrote:

On another thread someone mentioned that the guy had been training with Jama Aden's training group in Ethiopia this winter, but he didn't know his name. In any case, my guess is he's being paid to be a pacer for the Oregon Project's track workouts.

noseeum wrote:

One last thing, I had no idea how ripped Ritz is now:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image11

Who is the dude on the far left of this pic? Anyone know?

Why would Nike pay an an athlete and not give him Nike gear?

noseeum wrote:

One last thing, I had no idea how ripped Ritz is now:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image11

Ritz looks great. I'm interested to know what he and Centrowitz have been doing to get abs like that.

I think the guy was hired as dog bait:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image7/

Gotta keep your prize runners safe

I wondered the same thing. It could be that he is hired not by Nike but by the Oregon Project (yes I know they are a Nike group, but they might have some kind of distinct corporate/legal status), and they only give their gear to the people who will be racing for them. Unlikely, but maybe.

NONikeClause wrote:

Montesquieu wrote:

On another thread someone mentioned that the guy had been training with Jama Aden's training group in Ethiopia this winter, but he didn't know his name. In any case, my guess is he's being paid to be a pacer for the Oregon Project's track workouts.

Why would Nike pay an an athlete and not give him Nike gear?

J.R. wrote:

noseeum wrote:

One last thing, I had no idea how ripped Ritz is now:

http://www.flotrack.org/photo/838289/photoalbum/448811#ad-image11

Ritz looks great. I'm interested to know what he and Centrowitz have been doing to get abs like that.

Nahh gimme them Ulrey abs anyday.

[quote]Montesquieu wrote:

I wondered the same thing. It could be that he is hired not by Nike but by the Oregon Project (yes I know they are a Nike group, but they might have some kind of distinct corporate/legal status), and they only give their gear to the people who will be racing for them. Unlikely, but maybe.

[quote]Montesquieu wrote:

Tis a ploy to get into Solinsky's head (again), since he's making a comeback. Did it work? Is this new Solinsky haircut a sign that Salazar's mind games are making Solinsky crack up?

http://ak.c.ooyala.com/o2ZWR4MTqngVVJPQhtbzv4FTO44ZPlkt/Ut_HKthATH4eww8X5hMDoxOjA4MTtFn1