Seriously WTH is Alberto doing with his camp: Mo Farah 26:47, Galen Rupp last 800m 1:52.5

Given his best (1:49?) I'm pretty impressed.

Anyone who has been following Rupp's career could see this is all just part of a long logical progression. Every year since high school he has continued to improve slowly but surely. Some years Salazar focuses more on speed and has him doing indoor 800's. Some years there is more of a focus on strength (I believe that is the focus this year?) He has never had a major injury that has forced him to miss a season, so he just keeps piling on the fitness, year after year, never slipping down the ladder then be forced to catch up again. It's a pleasure to watch.

Championship LD victories absolutely depend on closing speed. Ultimate performance over the longer distance doesn't always correlate with success, at least beyond a certain minimum threshold. Simply being able to run 26:59 doesn't win it these days.

I'm with those who argue that 28:30 with a 1:52 closer, from a proven 27:10 athlete let's not forget who can probably beat that now, is a more impressive credential than the straight SOL 26:59.

Who really thinks the Worlds will be won in under 27 minutes? 27:20 will probably win it, in a race full of surges and uneven pace distribution. Nobody who medals will race the last 400 in more than 56 seconds. I'd say Rupp has a real chance of a medal.

I admit Rupp's development in this key respect is more impressive than I'd expected. I thought Rupp was going to end up like Dave Bedford, minus the trademark long black sox...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiBjoqXCyY4

Although, Bedford always had a much more brash and engaging personality than Rupp.

Credit where it's due.

well considering that the last world championships 10k was won in 26:46, with 26:57 required for just a bronze medal, it doesn't seem unreasonable to think that it might take more than a 27:20 to win in being able to kick well off of 27 flat pace in more relevant on the world stage than being able to kick insanely well off 28:30 pace.

http://berlin.iaaf.org/results/racedate=08-17-2009/sex=M/discCode=10K/combCode=hash/roundCode=f/results.html#detM_10K_hash_f

all that said, i really hope rupp can pull it off.

Dat Rupp the pup has put in alot of prep from the numbero coach from cuba or at least his pappa was. On the final straight dats no jumbotron sonny boy back in the dey late fifties we called it doing --- the walk ---! Yeah you'se do the walk, remember Jimmy McCracklins walk same thing baby. Yeah hey he he he he he bros dat mask may keep Rupp the pups asthma in check but its a muzzle. When my boy starts foaming at the mouth look out baby he gonna snatch the rabbit by ears and toss 'em aside.

VIPAM wrote:

Alberto has alot of distance running experience and coaching, Mo Farah has always been a decent world class runner, and Galen Rupp a stud in college. Galen done some great things with Alberto coaching him last couple years but now with Mo in the group they have become beasts. Mo Farah beating a incredibly deep field this year in 26:47, winning 1/2 marathon against world class field, Galen debuting 3rd in 1/2 marathon in a fast sub 1:01, and now running off a slow pace 1:52.5 last 800m.

It's hard to see more then 10 men in the world being able to run a relaxed last 800m in 1:52.5 off even in a slow 10000m and Rupp wasn't forcing it the last 50-60 meters.

Alberto bringing two studs to the 10000m- do you think both of them will medal at Worlds?

More THAN 10 men. Sorry - pet peeve of mine

What was Teg's last 800? 1:53'ish. Think I remember reading that Rupp had the lead from 1k out, so Teg was behind him by what, .5 seconds? And he lost by what, 1.5 sec? So Teg probably ran 1:53:high?

In another 2 months, Teg's kick will be right there with Rupp's. Teg and Rupp are an incredible 10k duo and Lagat and Solinksy will be an incredible 5k duo.

Never thought about it before, but if Ritz would come back for the 10k next year... Rupp, Teg, Ritz in 10k and Sol, Lagat and ?? in the 5k would be pretty sick for London.

Its too bad Ritz has been out of it for so long. Looking at Rupp and Sol, one can see what consistent, injury free training does to a person.

What does Solinsky's AR have to do with this race? How can you even compare a rabbited (partially by Rupp) record-attempt race to an extremely tactical WC-qualifying championship? They are COMPLETELY different, and to say one is more impressive than the other is to prefer apples over oranges: a perfectly valid opinion but not particularly interesting.

What Rupp showed tonight was that he can kick, and we may not have even seen all of what he had left. In the last 150 he showed a gear that Tegenkamp (a great kicker in his own right) just flat out did not have. Nobody knows what will happen in Korea, but I think even with a faster pace (I'm thinking mid-27ish race), Galen is fully capable of a low-to-mid 1:50s finish which would put him in contention for the podium. And that is exciting as an American athletics fan.

Closing in 54 was something I used to think only the Ethiopians could do. Maybe we really are closing the gap, if not in depth at least at the top end.

consider this wrote:

Well, considering you're a moron, I am not impressed with your stupidity.

Cannot you see the differences between the 2 performances (Solinsky's and Rupp's), then moron is you.

Galen closed in similar fashion in a prior national championship race (when he beat Ritz) and a college race a year or 2 ago. The last 800 was similar and in one of those races the last lap was the same. He looked pretty amazing then with his closing speed.

Yet, in high caliber races, he has not shown the ability to close like that yet. The ability to close fast in a much faster race is much more difficult. Salazar and Rupp have admitted as much. Last year, in some of those 5k's he was running, Galen had nothing left for the final lap.

Hopefully now he will. He will need to close in 1:53 or better to have a chance at a medal even near a 27:00 pace.

To run a 1:52.5 off 29:00 pace is one thing. To close off a 1:56 in a much much faster race is more impressive to me. By the way, Rupp was in that race. Where was he in the end?

That said, I hope he kicks some ass later this year in the WC!!

Well the 1:52 isn't that impressive given the running pace throughout. Plus since Rupp is in sub-26:50 shape according to Farah the 1:52 should be easy in a mid 28s race.

Actually a 1:52 to close a 28:38 is impressive if you understand the sport.

Plus he did it with a sub 13 5K guy stalking him every step and managed to pull away.

I am going to give Rupp credit where it is due.

I agree, I'm very confident that Solinsky would've won that race. A 1:52 last 800 is impressive, it is obvious that Rupp's kick has gotten better, and that he is in great shape, but they weren't even racing for 10K. All we found out from the race is who has the fastest last 800 off of a painstakingly slow pace.

Nothing about the 10K was in the least bit impressive.

[quote]storm cloud wrote:

I also find this amazing. Has Bekele himself ever run faster than 1:52 for the last 800?

i dont know what k. bekele has been running his last 800's in, but k. bekele has run 12 10k's on the track, and his slowest time ever is 27:08.

storm cloud wrote:

I also find this amazing. Has Bekele himself ever run faster than 1:52 for the last 800?

Rupp looked like he was willing to start walking at any point in the race if the pace slowed enough as long as he was near the lead. I have never seen him so confident in his kick. On the final straight, he was looking up at the jumbotron all lol-like.

We have ourselves a legit medal contender here. Everything about Rupp looked perfect in this race except for the goofy mask.

Bekele won the 2008 Olympic final by closing in 1:51 and running I believe around 26:55.

That was 27:01.2.

Galen Rupp last 800m was impressive because the kid did it with ease and he kept his swag on deck at all times. So I don't know why the haters are hating on him. For now we're going let the haters do their job and stay gainfully employed.

Galen definitely surprised me with his last 800m 1:52.5 and thats impressive at the end of any distance race. Galen Rupp should make this his new theme for 2011 because it's spot on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIbnQCnYI7k

Exactly. Bekele's slowest 10K is faster than Rupp's PR. If Bekele were in a 28:40 race he probably could run a 1:48.xx if he needed too. Remember he has beaten Lagat just about every time they have raced and Lagat has never lost to Rupp. But I do agree that Rupp's performance last night was impressive and I do hope he does do great at Worlds to silence some of the haters.