Rupp 13:10.05 new PR

Who said anything about holding it against him for being supported? No - I am being critical of him for not showing the progession that can lead to a medal especially in light of the support given to him. The bottom line for me is can Rupp medal given the progression he has demonstrated so far? The answer for me is no - so he needs to step up and do what needs to be done to get there.

music is happiness wrote:

If "Championship Medals are all that matter" why are guys like Tim Nelson, David Torrence, Bobby Curtis, Andrew Bumbalough, and others who have run well of late, but have NO SHOT of medaling on the world stage, still training and improving? Maybe the love of competition and the sport and accomplishment is what really matters.

Rupp may never medal, but if at the end of his career he's run, say, 12:55 and 26:50 and run in a bunch of WC and Olympic Finals, that's something to be proud of. Not everyone can be Lagat, Bekele, El G, Geb.

Rupp just improved his PR to 13:10 and raced some top athletes (and beat a few), which is more than any of us on this thread can boast of.

Exactly. There are so many posters on here who's head are so far stuck up their #ss that they can't think straight, or don't want to. This sport is not only about winning medals, in fact it's not about that at all. It's about doing the best you can do. If that includes winning medals, than so be it. as you mentioned only a few people will win those medals, in the entire world. It doesn't mean the others aren't trying or "need to step it up". Only a complete idiot would post things like that.

And the notion of bashing after his 5k debut, things like only improving 27 seconds, others have run faster, etc etc. What is wrong with some people? First i'm sure he's aiming to peak in late August i would imagine? He may or may not run faster, but the chances are that this was not supposed to be his "breakthrough race", as one poster wrote. Only a complete fool would make that comment. i mean he already went 27:10 this year. This is not by any means a breakthrough race. He's just getting started.

How many runners never improve post HS? Or marginally improve? It's pathetic to bash someone whose PR has improved 27 seconds who looks ready to drop that pr again most likely, especially after all the years of "he won't improve much because he already did so much, had so many advantages in HS/College". Yet he keeps on improving. Which is it? The bashers try to have it both ways.

What does the kid "yes he is young" has to do to get the morons to stop bashing? To the poster who made the comment about people saying he's still young. Fact, he is. This isn't Kenya or Ethiopia. If he stays at it and trains hard, he could be 5 years away from his peak, give or take. He's a legit 24, now a 19 year old who may or may not be 30. He has shown no reason to not believe he won't keep on improving, and has had minimal injuries.

It was only a bit over a year ago people were saying he had no speed, couldn't do this, or that. And he proved everyone wrong. Now he's continuing to improve, and do things no one had done before. Like run 13:18 and 13:14 indoors in the 5k, which now only Lagat has done, or go 27:10 in a 10k, which now only Solinsky has done. At some point you have to start giving him his due and just support him.

I won't be upset if he never wins a medal. I sure hope he does, but someone just doing the best they can is all we can ask for. The odds are greatly stacked against any American born man winning an olympic medal in the 5k/10k, especially with other countries now buying Kenyans making the fields that much tougher specifically in events like the steeple/5k/10k for men.

All that said, i'm happy with a 13:10 opener. He looked a bit flat in his 3:57, but was a good rust buster, and i'm sure, health proving, we will see a few more big races from him this year.

Outlier wrote:

Who said anything about holding it against him for being supported? No - I am being critical of him for not showing the progession that can lead to a medal especially in light of the support given to him. The bottom line for me is can Rupp medal given the progression he has demonstrated so far? The answer for me is no - so he needs to step up and do what needs to be done to get there.

Are you serious with this? "He needs to step up and do what needs to be done to get there?" What on earth makes you think he's not trying to do exactly that? By your own admission, he "has been given everything - good coaching and managers and a big contract." What else should he be doing? Give us your ideas. Hell, maybe you can give him a call and offer to coach him.

Jefe in the CO wrote:

Outlier wrote:

We have the right to expect that from an athlete who has been given everything - good coaching and managers and a big contract. Not nearly good enough.

Why do jackwads like Outlier seem to hold the fact that Galen has been supported as a bad thing?

Outlier, is Galen not "blue-collar" enough for you?

I think that we can all safely say that for us to have any hope of competing on the World stage we need to support our athletes...dipshit.

Very solid run for Galen.

Enough said. Well done.

Remember after Alan Webb ran that 13:10 someone said he could go 12:59 and people were like, whaaaa?! Sub 13 for Webb and Lagat?! that would be crazy! ha. little did they know....

I bet Webb could run 12:55 in his prime, maybe faster

a fine result and how many other Americans have ever run 27:10/13:10 or better? One. He's going to run faster this summer, as this was his first Euro race and he's trained to peak in August, plus 13:10 makes him, I think, one of the top ten American performers all time at 5000m. (Lagat, Ritz, Sol, BK, Teg, Maree, Centro, ...?)

1) Congrats to Rupp on a new PR. 13:10 is fantastic. He was in the race until 500 to go, but was gassed. He'll bring that down.

2) 24 is not all that young, but not all that old either. He's got 6 more years of solid 10k running ahead of him, then the marathon for another 5 or 6 years.

3) 5,000 13:11.77 (2000); 10,000 27:13.98 .... Meb's PRs. Pretty close to Rupp's. 27:10 is equivalent to about a 13:10. The reason why you see less low 27:00 10ks then low 13:00 or under 5ks is simply a function of there not being many high quality 10ks in a year.

I REPEAT... A 13:10 IS ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO A 27:10 FOR A HIGHLY TRAINED AEROBIC ATHLETE. THE ONLY REASON WE SEE MORE LOW 13s AND SUB 13:00s THEN SUB 27:00s OR 26:50s IS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF 10K OPPORTUNITIES ON THE EUROPEAN CIRCUIT.

If Rupp can get down to 13:03-05, which it looks to be a reasonable goal for this year, he should break 27:00 if he can find a competitive, well paced 10k towards the end of the year.

4) Choosing track and field as a profession only if you have a chance to medal in the Olympics is like choosing baseball as a profession only if you can make the Hall of Fame. People are always talking about making the sport "more professional". The more professional it becomes, the less medals matter. Then 75% of the game is about selling out stadiums and producing entertainment and fantastic performances for the fans. The remaining 25% is keeping some kind of glimmer of hope that you will compete for a championship... but that is just to keep the fans coming back. How many baseball teams have a realistic shot every year of winning the World Series? Unfortunately, probably just the Yankees. Everyone else is selling a dream and its the 162 other games that define success... not the World Series ring.

This should be the POD.

Yours Truly,

Mad Hatter

kudzurunner wrote:

What is the Letsrun forum? It's a place where a terrific (and still terrifically promising) American runner runs a 13:10 PR at 5000 meters and gets badmouthed, low-rated, and dissed by a bunch of kibbitzers who hope someday to break 15:00.

That is pitiful.

A PR is a PR. Every single runner on this forum is happy to run a PR. (If I'm wrong about this, please let me know. Use your real name and respond with the statement, "When I run a 5K PR, I'm bitterly disappointed and realize that I have failed everybody."

I mean really. Get a life.

I second that. When someone runs their best time EVER you can't fault them regardless of where they place. Good lord.

He moves to #8 on the all-time US list..4 second pr (indoor time) and 20 second outdoor PR according to T&F News

he's a good runner : - )

Mad Hatter, I nominated your post. Nice work.

Yes nice race indeed but Lets not give him the anointing oil just yet.

1. Most of his hype as a runner has been based of potential. People have been saying that he will be able to do this and he will be able to do that. Lets see him win a major international event before we give him the crown. Lets see him medal in an olympic or world championship.

2. 24 is not young for an elite track athlete. Look at the greats and what they have accomplished, Bekele, El Guerrouj, Kipchoge and so on. Look at what they did BEFORE they were 24. 24 as an elite track athlete is equal to being 30 - 32 as a baseball player.

3. His 0.4 second personal best was from an indoor track. People who said he would go under 13 based off that 13:10 indoors because it converted to a sub 13 are the same people giving him lots of praise for a personal best. Wait a minute I thought his outdoor converted to sub 13? Again its a double standard

4. Stop saying under perfect conditions. Everybody runs in the same conditions. Run under the conditions you are given or don't run at all. But if you run don't make excuses saying you could have done this could have done that.

Mad Hatter wrote:

If Rupp can get down to 13:03-05, which it looks to be a reasonable goal for this year, he should break 27:00 if he can find a competitive, well paced 10k towards the end of the year.

Yours Truly,

Mad Hatter

But he didn't run 13:05-13:10 or 27:00. That's the point. So it is wrong to say he SHOULD run a 27:00. What about all the Africans that have already run 13:00 AND are younger AND have less experience in internnational fields than Rupp? Should they all run 26:40 by the end of the year? That's already like 20 people. But you know that's not gonna happen. Rupp ran a 27:10 a month ago and now a 13:10. His fitness is going down, not up. Why is it that this makes sense to all fans except Oregon fans. Whether its Wheating or Rupp, its always "wait till he learns how to run, wait till he gets used to European food, wait till

he does speed work." Give us a break, the guy has more international races than practically anybody else in the field and has lived in an altitude chamber for like half his life. He set a twenty second PR in May and now you say it's reasonable that he sets another ten second PR in August? Name one athlete who has done that!?

A pr is a pr and should be celebrated. But I don't agree with the guys saying any pr should be glorified. A 0.1 pr in a 5k for example isn't all that exciting. A 20 second pr is! Good for Rupp, he's continueing to knock his pr's down and placing well in the races.

Who knows what Rupp will run later this season. Hopefully he'll get more pr's and continue to place high. So far 2010 has been a great year and it's only half over for the guy! I personally would like to see him in another fast 10k.

ryan foreman wrote:

I think in more ideal conditions with faster pace Rupp is capable of 13 flat, right now.

With the field all running the pace you are going I'd say these race conditions were pretty ideal. I mean who ever has a perfect race inperfect conditions? It is pretty rare!

A good run and he has not stopped improving

I could care less about Oregon or Wheating. I went to an East coast school and just talk the straight shit.

Bottom line... his 13:10 is equivalent to his 27:10. There is no doubt about that. His fitness has not regressed. Its about the same as it was. That's not praising nor bashing Rupp... its stating the facts.

Now, OBJECTIVELY, something you clearly no nothing about, nearly EVERY AMERICAN improves their time as they race more in Europe.

I don't pretend to know why. I would guess it has to do with jet lag. Kenyans and Ethiopians tend not to have this issue (see Ebuya and a few others running their fastest in Doha, the first race of the year, which is incredible). This is atypical for an American runner. MOST American runners run significantly faster in their 2nd-4th Euro race of the season.

It is a realistic GOAL for Rupp to run 13:03-13:05. Why wouldn't it be? Regardless of whether he does or not, he should still consider 27:00 as another realistic goal for the season.

Do I expect either? No. Do I think he is capable? Sure, why the hell not. Kid is amazing. Do I care? About as much as I care about Huling running sub 8:10, Ritz returning to top form, and Hall getting the AR in Chicago.

Now stop being a douche and Rupp hater and start being objective.

Talk about being objective. The claim you make about a 13:10 equal to a 27:10 is nothing but your feeling. That, my friend, is not being objective. Stats prove otherwise. 27:10 is the second fastest American time ever yet 13:10 barely cracks the top ten. Where are all the other American sub 27:10's? If you say its because the lack of quality 10k's you are lame. The fastest times in the world in the 10K this year were all set on American soil. And Americans running faster in their fourth race in Europe only hold true for shorter distances. Name me one American who has run a PR 10k in august in Europe after running a fast 5k or 10K PR in May. That's 4 months between PR's. Name me one American who has done that Mr. Objective.

Look a the results of diamond league 5000's this year. Every single 5k is slower than the last.

Now even you recognize that any track runner peaking for a race in May and then peaking for a race in August will accomplish nothing but to ruin his following year. Thankfully, you are not Rupp's coach.

Mad Hatter wrote:

Now, OBJECTIVELY, something you clearly no nothing about, nearly EVERY AMERICAN improves their time as they race more in Europe.

I don't pretend to know why. I would guess it has to do with jet lag. Kenyans and Ethiopians tend not to have this issue (see Ebuya and a few others running their fastest in Doha, the first race of the year, which is incredible). This is atypical for an American runner. MOST American runners run significantly faster in their 2nd-4th Euro race of the season.

Thank you for the LOL, did you recently fall and hit your head???

Objectively, the reason the times in Europe are so fast is the conditions. The meets are mostly run at night, it's much cooler and there is no humidity and the races are paced.

The Africans are coming down from 7,200 feet altitude so the sea level venues are just to their liking. Once you adjust to the time difference coming from the US, it's just perfect.