oliver klozoff wrote:
The times they are a changing. wrote:When Ryun was running the WR's aren't as strong as they are today. Someone in college running a world record then was not as difficult as it would be today. Centro just ran one of the top 10 1500 times ever in college and it is still ten seconds off the WR, it is about as close to impossible as anything for a college student to run a WR in a distance race at this point. As far as Rono, his times are about equal to Rupp, although doing them 30 years ago is a little more impressive. But, he was also older than Rupp in college. I would have to call it even right now because you could counteract Rono's age and growing up in Kenya with Rupp's growing up in an altitude tent.
Wow, a well-thought out post
well, Rupp didn't grow up in an altitude tent, and since he has used them, he hasn't lived in them. that doesn't really matter anyway.
rupps ncaa career has faced some worthy opponents. a 5th yr. cheseret at ncaa 10K when rupp was a frosh? mcdougal in maybe the best race of mcdougals career in ncaa xc rupps junior year. mcdougal was certainly worth a mid 27:xx 10K at that point and rupp was running an abbreviated season after the world champs. and this year has been incredibly dominant. the fact that he seeminly owns chelanga, a 13:19-27:28 guy at every distance and cross country. and sam is by no means a choker.
the question here is are people looking more at where people were each year and titles, or where they ended up at the end of their college career.
that needs to be clarified. rupps aim to progress over time is proving out to be damn near genious considering how great he was out of high school and what he looks to be ready for this year. if he pulls off a dominating double at NCAA outdoors he'd at least have to be at #2 on my list. those are not weak fields he's going up against.
i think people forget, they suddenly look at rupp like he's expected to win everything in college and nothing less than domination is ok. a couple no less than 7 months ago people had still thought he would never win an ncaa title. take a look where chelanga would rank on the all time us 10K list:
10,000 METERS
27:13.98 Meb Keflezighi (Nik) 05/04/01
27:16.99 Abdi Abdirahman (Nik) 06/08/08
27:20.15 ----Keflezighi 05/03/02
27:20.56 Mark Nenow (Pum) 09/05/86
27:22.81 ----Abdirahman 05/28/06
27:24.10 ----Keflezighi 04/30/04
27:25.61 Alberto Salazar (AW) 06/26/82
27:28.80 ----Nenow 07/05/86
27:29.06 ----Salazar 07/09/82
27:29.16 Craig Virgin (FRRT) 07/17/80
…………………………………………………………………………………..
27:31.34 Todd Williams (adi) 04/06/95
27:33.48 Galen Rupp (Or) 04/29/07
27:33.93 Alan Culpepper (adi) 05/04/01
27:34.72 Alan Webb (Nik) 04/30/06
27:35.65 Dathan Ritzenhein (Co) 04/30/06
only 4 individuals have ever run faster than sam (galen of course can so 5). to be in college and dominating a guy who would be the 4th or 5th fastest american over 10K is pretty big. personally I think if galen goes to europe this summer he goes straight to the top of this list and is the first american to get into 27:0X. he'd probably be one of the few to get under 13:05 if he gets in a fast 5K as well. that might seal the deal on who's the greatest collegiate.