The GREATEST X-Country Championships race EVER: Sam Chelanga 2009

All great races aren't neccessarily characterized by competition and tension. The fact that last year he went out and was caught gave the race alot of drama. Was he going to hold on or would the pack of three guys trailing him work to catch him. Was Chris Derrick just waiting to unleash and reel Sam in like Galen Rupp last year. All those question was still out there until the 7km mark when it became apparent that Sam was stronger than last year and noone was gonna reel him in and deny him his X-Country NCAA title. GREAT race to many!

Has anyone considered that if chelanga had not eased up, he would have tied up and been caught by derrick and mcneill? pushing yourself through an entire race does not always mean a faster time

LOL @ Rupp beating Chelanga. Senior season Rupp would've got stomped by Chelanga, and professional, Nike Rupp of today would've been smoked as well.

Dathan Ritzenhein might be the lone America who could've beat Chelanga today. Definitely not Tegenkamp (don't run no 10K, and couldn't run as fast as Chelanga if he did), not Abdi (goood, but slightly off his game lately), not Meb (still great, but couldn't blaze a sub 27:30 on the track at his age), not Lagat, not the ghost of Adam Goucher when he beat Abdi and Lagat for the 1998 title.

V6 wrote:

LOL @ Rupp beating Chelanga. Senior season Rupp would've got stomped by Chelanga, and professional, Nike Rupp of today would've been smoked as well.

Dathan Ritzenhein might be the lone America who could've beat Chelanga today. Definitely not Tegenkamp (don't run no 10K, and couldn't run as fast as Chelanga if he did), not Abdi (goood, but slightly off his game lately), not Meb (still great, but couldn't blaze a sub 27:30 on the track at his age), not Lagat, not the ghost of Adam Goucher when he beat Abdi and Lagat for the 1998 title.

Rupp would have won this year as well.

Rupp was barely winded at the finish last year. He was in tremendous shape as his entire season showed.

No way Chelanga matches Rupp's senior year.

So, you can just get off it. Rupp was and is better than Chelanga.

readers... wrote:

Rupp would have won this year as well.

Rupp was barely winded at the finish last year. He was in tremendous shape as his entire season showed.

No way Chelanga matches Rupp's senior year.

So, you can just get off it. Rupp was and is better than Chelanga.

Chelanga was barely winded after blitzing the field. He got to the finish line and looked like he came back from a tempo.

Chelanga matching Rupp's senior year? Think about Chelanga next year when he will be a senior..

V6 wrote:

LOL @ Rupp beating Chelanga. Senior season Rupp would've got stomped by Chelanga, and professional, Nike Rupp of today would've been smoked as well.

Dathan Ritzenhein might be the lone America who could've beat Chelanga today. Definitely not Tegenkamp (don't run no 10K, and couldn't run as fast as Chelanga if he did), not Abdi (goood, but slightly off his game lately), not Meb (still great, but couldn't blaze a sub 27:30 on the track at his age), not Lagat, not the ghost of Adam Goucher when he beat Abdi and Lagat for the 1998 title.

For all you guys saying Chelanga would have easily beaten Rupp this year... think about the last six months of head to head competition between Rupp and Chelanga. Rupp absolutely DOMINATED (running to win, rather than going after times) each and every meeting those two had. I seriously doubt that in 4 months of Fall training Chelanga would catch/surpass/dominate a guy who absolutely owned his balls so recently.

How many people you know who are both training at their peaks go from being owned, to owning someone in four months? None. For this matter, Rupp would have done exactly what he did last Fall, last Winter and last Spring to Chelanga. Sit on his shoulder until 300 to go and kick past him for the win.

And even if Chelanga goes pro as a US citizen, the 10k AR will already be under 27 min. Rupp and Ritz will do that this Summer. Both had a legitimate shot at the AR last year, this year they both have a legitimate shot at sub 27.

Should be an exciting summer for our guys going after AR's seeing there is no World/Oly this year.

V6 wrote:

LOL @ Rupp beating Chelanga. Senior season Rupp would've got stomped by Chelanga, and professional, Nike Rupp of today would've been smoked as well.

Dathan Ritzenhein might be the lone America who could've beat Chelanga today. Definitely not Tegenkamp (don't run no 10K, and couldn't run as fast as Chelanga if he did), not Abdi (goood, but slightly off his game lately), not Meb (still great, but couldn't blaze a sub 27:30 on the track at his age), not Lagat, not the ghost of Adam Goucher when he beat Abdi and Lagat for the 1998 title.

Teg will have a better 10k than Chelanga in a few years (heard it hear first)