Basically the title. He's by far the fastest non-East African 10k runner of all time with two times in the 26:40s and an Olympic silver medal (beating Bekele brothers and Tadese as well as other sub-27:00 men), as well as being the 15th fastest man in history. His track PRs show a consistent trend of improvement the longer the distance. Theoretically he should be a 2:03 man - this is what his peers in the 10k are running. And yet his PR is only 2:06? What's up with that?
bad at the marathon wrote:
Basically the title. He's by far the fastest non-East African 10k runner of all time with two times in the 26:40s and an Olympic silver medal (beating Bekele brothers and Tadese as well as other sub-27:00 men), as well as being the 15th fastest man in history. His track PRs show a consistent trend of improvement the longer the distance. Theoretically he should be a 2:03 man - this is what his peers in the 10k are running. And yet his PR is only 2:06? What's up with that?
His entire set of marathons is:
- US Olympic Marathon Trials 2016
- Olympic Marathon 2016
- Boston Marathon 2017
- Chicago Marathon 2017
- Boston Marathon 2018
- Prague Marathon 2018
- Chicago Marathon 2018
- Chicago Marathon 2019
- US Olympic Marathon Trials 2020
This is a total of 9 marathons.
Two of them are the Olympic Trials, which were on hot, slow courses, and where he was so far ahead of the competition that his finishing time was irrelevant.
One of them was the 2018 Boston Marathon, where conditions were an utter disaster for everyone involved.
The 2016 Olympic Marathon and 2017 Boston Marathon were on generally slow courses.
Of the 3 Chicago Marathons, one was a DNF (2019), and one was in warm weather conditions that he actually won (2017).
There were really only two opportunities to run fast: Prague, and Chicago 2018. Prague was actually shortly after the terrible performance in Boston 2018, and he ran decently. Chicago 2018 he just didn't have it.
Sure, he may be a 2:05 runner, but if his ceiling is 2:05:XX based on his track times, and he's really only had 2 fast marathons to try and get it, hitting 2:06 really isn't so bad.
He has run at least 2:05 in every marathon he has completed.
Seyta wrote:
bad at the marathon wrote:
Basically the title. He's by far the fastest non-East African 10k runner of all time with two times in the 26:40s and an Olympic silver medal (beating Bekele brothers and Tadese as well as other sub-27:00 men), as well as being the 15th fastest man in history. His track PRs show a consistent trend of improvement the longer the distance. Theoretically he should be a 2:03 man - this is what his peers in the 10k are running. And yet his PR is only 2:06? What's up with that?
His entire set of marathons is:
- US Olympic Marathon Trials 2016
- Olympic Marathon 2016
- Boston Marathon 2017
- Chicago Marathon 2017
- Boston Marathon 2018
- Prague Marathon 2018
- Chicago Marathon 2018
- Chicago Marathon 2019
- US Olympic Marathon Trials 2020
This is a total of 9 marathons.
Two of them are the Olympic Trials, which were on hot, slow courses, and where he was so far ahead of the competition that his finishing time was irrelevant.
One of them was the 2018 Boston Marathon, where conditions were an utter disaster for everyone involved.
The 2016 Olympic Marathon and 2017 Boston Marathon were on generally slow courses.
Of the 3 Chicago Marathons, one was a DNF (2019), and one was in warm weather conditions that he actually won (2017).
There were really only two opportunities to run fast: Prague, and Chicago 2018. Prague was actually shortly after the terrible performance in Boston 2018, and he ran decently. Chicago 2018 he just didn't have it.
Sure, he may be a 2:05 runner, but if his ceiling is 2:05:XX based on his track times, and he's really only had 2 fast marathons to try and get it, hitting 2:06 really isn't so bad.
So in short, Galen hasn't run on a fast course with top competition on a day with good conditions. Which makes sense, since he only seems to run second-tier races outside of the olympics.
Why is this, though? I would guess mostly because of injury but I haven't really kept up with his injury history, I just feel like he's always been battling back from injury or taking time off since he's moved up to the marathon.
Seyta wrote:
bad at the marathon wrote:
Basically the title. He's by far the fastest non-East African 10k runner of all time with two times in the 26:40s and an Olympic silver medal (beating Bekele brothers and Tadese as well as other sub-27:00 men), as well as being the 15th fastest man in history. His track PRs show a consistent trend of improvement the longer the distance. Theoretically he should be a 2:03 man - this is what his peers in the 10k are running. And yet his PR is only 2:06? What's up with that?
His entire set of marathons is:
- US Olympic Marathon Trials 2016
- Olympic Marathon 2016
- Boston Marathon 2017
- Chicago Marathon 2017
- Boston Marathon 2018
- Prague Marathon 2018
- Chicago Marathon 2018
- Chicago Marathon 2019
- US Olympic Marathon Trials 2020
This is a total of 9 marathons.
Two of them are the Olympic Trials, which were on hot, slow courses, and where he was so far ahead of the competition that his finishing time was irrelevant.
One of them was the 2018 Boston Marathon, where conditions were an utter disaster for everyone involved.
The 2016 Olympic Marathon and 2017 Boston Marathon were on generally slow courses.
Of the 3 Chicago Marathons, one was a DNF (2019), and one was in warm weather conditions that he actually won (2017).
There were really only two opportunities to run fast: Prague, and Chicago 2018. Prague was actually shortly after the terrible performance in Boston 2018, and he ran decently. Chicago 2018 he just didn't have it.
Sure, he may be a 2:05 runner, but if his ceiling is 2:05:XX based on his track times, and he's really only had 2 fast marathons to try and get it, hitting 2:06 really isn't so bad.
This is a solid post, but I'd like to say his track times indicate his ceiling as 2:03:XX. He has the 24th and 30th fastest 10k times ever (including duplicates). In the marathon, 24th and 30th are 2:03:51 and 2:04:02. Even Galen's 4th and 5th fastest 10ks (both 27:08) are ranked the same as 2:05:54 on the all-time lists. Basically, he's an athlete that has a trend of improvement in longer distances on the track, but he has four 10ks better than his best marathon.
Renato said the same thing about Rupp and Mo. At their best 2:05 is what they can give. Rupp hasn't achieved it because of the races he's accepted. That's on him although Chicago can be real fast on the right day and Boston as well.
We've had this thread before a time or two. I was told this talk would stop "once Rupp pops a 2:05."
Still waiting.
Galen hasn’t been capable of breaking 27 in several years. Galen is likely a 27:30 runner at best now and he will never break 2:07 again. Be realistic folks.
I think AlSal realizes that Rupp is too fragile to train to run a superfast marathon and has opted for slower races. Maybe if Rupp went to the marathon when he was 24, he would have run 2:04 by now. But he had a lot of miles on his legs when he started training for 26.2. Even with a more cautious approach he has had big injuries. So, just imagine how banged up he would have been had he raced Berlin and London every year. And, from a marketing perspective, what good would it be for Rupp to be 6th in London and 4th in Berlin running 2:05 and 2:04 versus much slower podium finishes and outright wins in Chicago and Boston, etc.?
Jammier wrote:
Galen hasn’t been capable of breaking 27 in several years. Galen is likely a 27:30 runner at best now and he will never break 2:07 again. Be realistic folks.
Didn't he just run 2:09 in Atlanta looking like it was nothing for him? Most people would say that 2:09 is good for sub 2:07 on a course like Berlin not even taking into account how much more he possibly had in the tank.
Agreed. I think he has it in him, and I’m not particularly a Rupp fan. He has another good 3-4 years to PR.
Seyta wrote:
There were really only two opportunities to run fast: Prague, and Chicago 2018. Prague was actually shortly after the terrible performance in Boston 2018, and he ran decently. Chicago 2018 he just didn't have it.
Sure, he may be a 2:05 runner, but if his ceiling is 2:05:XX based on his track times, and he's really only had 2 fast marathons to try and get it, hitting 2:06 really isn't so bad.
That sums it up pretty well. I think Rupp might be closer to a 2:04/2:03 guy but if you are a 2:03 guy and run 3 marathons, there is a good chance you only run a 2:06. And I sort of doubt the prep for Prague was ideal (i.e. dropping out at 20 miles 4 weeks earlier) and by Chicago I wonder how bad that foot issue was....
Rainy Day wrote:
Agreed. I think he has it in him, and I’m not particularly a Rupp fan. He has another good 3-4 years to PR.
Many of you are not very bright. You really appear ignorant. Galen will never set another personal best in a distance which matters, and by that I mean that it is possible he could run a personal best in a 50K, for example, as I imagine he doesn’t have one. Galen will NEVER run faster than 13:30, 27:50, 60:00 or 2:07 ever again. It will NEVER happen.
The reason is because he’s an American, so his employer Nike wants him to try and win a Chicago (owned business Nike) and Boston (American as apple pie). If he really wanted to chase fast times he would of been doing Berlin and London instead.
Galen will never break 61:00 ever again is what I should have written. No chance. Galen is certainly no longer the best U.S. distance runner.
He hasn't had a great opportunity to run 2:05. He ran his 2:06:07 at Prague, several weeks after what was supposed to be his peak. If he hadn't already peaked for Boston I think he could have run at least a few ticks faster. Then 2:06 high in Chicago on a bum achilles.
These days he doesn't seem interested in racing much. If he were younger, didn't have kids, and still had Alberto for a coach, you would think Alberto would have set up a bunch of time trials for him right now.
Walmart Superstore wrote:
Jammier wrote:
Galen hasn’t been capable of breaking 27 in several years. Galen is likely a 27:30 runner at best now and he will never break 2:07 again. Be realistic folks.
Didn't he just run 2:09 in Atlanta looking like it was nothing for him? Most people would say that 2:09 is good for sub 2:07 on a course like Berlin not even taking into account how much more he possibly had in the tank.
No you are incorrect. 43 year old Abdi ran 2:10:03 in Atlanta. Do you really think 43 year old Abdi can run sub 2:08 at Berlin? Please...
Jammier wrote:
Galen will never break 61:00 ever again is what I should have written. No chance. Galen is certainly no longer the best U.S. distance runner.
Given how he destroyed the US trials field, he is clearly the best marathoner. Maybe HM also. Definitely not in the 5k anymore. 10k would be interesting. I doubt he is better than like a 27:10-20 guy but that is probably enough.... Of course we have basically zero info on how he does in fast races since his surgery....
He’s got SUB 2 ABILITY!
26:44 is FAST!
Sub 13 is FAST!
3:50 is FAST!
He’s got the PHYSICALITY for SUB 2! He’s got the MENTALITY for SUB 2!
It’s not an easy task. Train your body and your mind for years. Live like a monk, think, dream, visualize. Climbing the mountain, leveling up, bit by bit. The running thousands of miles, squatting thousands of pounds! Good luck to him! He has a brilliant career with championships and 2 Olympic medals, fantastic results, visualize gold in 2021! Good luck Rupp!
Jammier wrote:
Galen will never break 61:00 ever again is what I should have written. No chance. Galen is certainly no longer the best U.S. distance runner.
Yes.
He looked like crap at the OT marathon, his most recent race.