I'll upgrade my last post here, saying Rupp always runs for a medal at worlds/olympics.
Looking at his two Olympic marathon runs, he was clearly going for the win in each of those. As a Rupp supporter since he was a senior in high school, I'd love to see Galen go for gold.
As Robert Hunter once wrote (for his pal Jerry to sing), "Might as Well!"
Every athlete is at risk of injury. One has to find the fine line between maximal training and over-training. It’s an art and a science. But Rupp is till the best US marathon hope and, like Koko said, this is home field and where he has done well over time. He will be ready. Like Michael Johnson & Maurice Green at the OT a few years back, sometimes pushing is a risk. But he will have aimed for this one particularly.
This is what the fans have been saying for almost a decade.
"He runs to win!" How do you explain the times he didn't, which is to say, most of them.
"He hasn't decided to run fast. Any time he wants to, he can!" He has tried a number of times. He couldn't come close to Hall's half record the time everything - course, pacers, time and day, USATF officials willing to overlook rules - EVERYTHING was set up to break it. The marathon AR is far out of reach.
"He could have every American Record from 10k up!" He doesn't have any.
He ran ran 2:06:35 in a less than ideal day at Chicago only 9 months ago. In better conditions he could be a 2:05 guy. I wouldn't be saying there's no way a 2:05 guy could win a medal at the world championships. You'd think there's at least a 20% chance he wins a medal this summer. It probably won't happen, since there are only 3 medal spots and he hasn't looked unstoppable, but there's a real chance he does it again.
This is what the fans have been saying for almost a decade.
"He runs to win!" How do you explain the times he didn't, which is to say, most of them.
"He hasn't decided to run fast. Any time he wants to, he can!" He has tried a number of times. He couldn't come close to Hall's half record the time everything - course, pacers, time and day, USATF officials willing to overlook rules - EVERYTHING was set up to break it. The marathon AR is far out of reach.
"He could have every American Record from 10k up!" He doesn't have any.
He ran ran 2:06:35 in a less than ideal day at Chicago only 9 months ago. In better conditions he could be a 2:05 guy. I wouldn't be saying there's no way a 2:05 guy could win a medal at the world championships. You'd think there's at least a 20% chance he wins a medal this summer. It probably won't happen, since there are only 3 medal spots and he hasn't looked unstoppable, but there's a real chance he does it again.
So you're saying 1981 Alberto Salazar, is today a 2:06 guy in Rupp-certified conditions and shoes?
This is what the fans have been saying for almost a decade.
"He runs to win!" How do you explain the times he didn't, which is to say, most of them.
"He hasn't decided to run fast. Any time he wants to, he can!" He has tried a number of times. He couldn't come close to Hall's half record the time everything - course, pacers, time and day, USATF officials willing to overlook rules - EVERYTHING was set up to break it. The marathon AR is far out of reach.
"He could have every American Record from 10k up!" He doesn't have any.
You sound like a real hater who doesn’t understand the sport.
If you are talking to any non-runner and say “this guy ran a 2:04 marathon” they’ll say “oh that’s cool. I have a buddy at work who ran sub 1:30 the other day”.
If you tell them “this guy’s an OLYMPIC MEDALIST”, they’ll say “oh sh*t so he’s amazing!”
He medaled. Whether he ever runs faster than 2:06 is irrelevant, and he’s still BY FAR the US best marathon runner.