Alberto sure makes things interesting.
Alberto sure makes things interesting.
Agree,
To the person saying that Rupp is the problem... Rupp is the savior, man. Before entering, these trials were sort of ho-hum. Everyone wondering who will unseat a tired/aging Meb, a recovering Ritz, or a dominant Hall with 2.5 months of real training. Wow.
At least run, or not, Rupp provides some excitement and intrigue.
I bet be runs, finishes in the top 3, and leaves it open as an option.
We all know he plans on doubling in the 5k/10k, but there is a very real possibility he doesn't make the 5k team. Lagat, Solinsky and Teg will be very difficult to beat in the 5k if they're all healthy. If Solinsky hasn't been putting in the base because of his hammy, he'll be forced to run the 5k, not the 10k. But that may work out ok for him.
So why not do the 10k/marathon double if you're Rupp and you don't make the 5k?
From a financial perspective, yeah, he probably gets more out of running NY in 2012... and it will be tough for him to do that after running a full marathon in London. Though, as Meb showed us, it is possible.
I think Rupp runs the trials and makes the team.
If he makes the 5k and 10k, he'll do that, and then do NY in the fall for a nice payday.
If he doesn't make the 5k, he'll do the 10k/marathon in London and possibly still do NY in the fall for a nice payday.
Zersenay Tadese: 12:59; 26:37; 58:33; 2:12
Stefano Baldini: 13:23; 27:43; 1:00:50; 2:07:02 (Gold Medal, Athens)
Montesquieu wrote:
Zersenay Tadese: 12:59; 26:37; 58:33; 2:12
Stefano Baldini: 13:23; 27:43; 1:00:50; 2:07:02 (Gold Medal, Athens)
As implied above, we don't know whether Rupp can run 2:03 or 2:10. The correlation between track and marathon times weakens when considering just the best in the world. Paraphrasing Noakes, "the best predictor of future marathon performance is past marathon performance."
Hall(Asics)Ready to Go
Meb(skechers GOrun x-Nike)Ready to Go
Ritz(Nike) Not Ready to Go?
Nike needs a solid contender Rupp
Just looking @ his times w/o any spin on them: Going from a 26:48 10K to a 60:30 HM is a decent dropoff (don't care if any charts say different). And a March HM is ideal, off the base/strength phase. Plus after outdoors, Salazar & Rupp both said he needed more strength for the 10K. Could he have gotten top 3, 26.2 strength since?
Totally agreed and you new here, correct?
Ritz isn't going to have Rupp pace him even if Rupp does run.
Kyle O was a joke as he didn't pace Brian...the pace was set and good to go well before 5 miles.
Trust me, Ritz will have no lack of competition in terms of the pace being kept honest.
My point exactly. However, what Rupp would have going for him is that of all our distance runners (perhaps since Frank Shorter) he is the closest to the Africans in terms of foot plant, agility, flexibility, and gracefulness--little wasted energy. Nevertheless, as my earlier post suggested, the marathon is a different animal from anything else: something that would have a minor negative effect in even a half-marathon, could have a decisive effect in the marathon.
we'll see... wrote:
Montesquieu wrote:Zersenay Tadese: 12:59; 26:37; 58:33; 2:12
Stefano Baldini: 13:23; 27:43; 1:00:50; 2:07:02 (Gold Medal, Athens)
As implied above, we don't know whether Rupp can run 2:03 or 2:10. The correlation between track and marathon times weakens when considering just the best in the world. Paraphrasing Noakes, "the best predictor of future marathon performance is past marathon performance."
From a Runners Word "Brief Chat" (and they've had some terrific ones of late):
By Amby Burfoot
American 10,000-meter ace Galen Rupp has thrown a curve ball into the men's Olympic Marathon Trials by entering the race at the last moment on Friday. The entry deadline was December 16 at 5 p.m. On Thursday, Rupp was not listed among the entries. Now he is. List of entries. (It's still possible to enter at an even later date, but only with increased fees and/or a special plea.)
Last September in Brussels, Rupp ran an impressive American record 26:48 for 10,000 meters. However, he has almost never run a major road race. The big exception was last March's New York City Half, where he finished third in 60:30 behind Mo Farah (60:23) and Gebre Gebremariam (60:25). Meb Keflezighi placed 15th in the same event in 62:52 and Ryan Hall 21st in 63:53. The next month, Gebremariam and Hall ran 2:04:53 and 2:04:58 in the Boston Marathon.
Rupp's performance in the NYC Half proved what is well-known: It's not difficult for fast 5000 and 10,000 runners to step up to 13.1 miles. (It was also Farah's first half-marathon.) The full marathon distance brings many additional challenges, however. Among them: fuel, fluids, and the mental-emotional ability to deal with the grueling final miles.
Rupp has been an American distance prodigy since his sophomore year in a Portland, Oregon, high school when he finished sixth in the state cross-country meet. He won the state title the next two years, and came under the coaching tutelage of Portland's most famous distance runner, Alberto Salazar. In his senior year of high school, Rupp ran 4:01.8 for the mile and 29:09.56 for 10,000 meters.
He attended college at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he continued to be coached by Salazar, a U of O alum but not one of the school's official coaches. Rupp has won the last three USA 10,000-meter track titles, and qualified for the last three U.S. teams in the World Championships (2007, 2009, 2011). He also competed at 10,000 meters in the Beijing Olympic Games, placing 13th.
Rupp is able to run the Trials because, dating from 2007 for the first time, the men's long distance running committee of USATF allowed runners to qualify with a 10,000-meter time or a half-marathon time. For Houston, the shorter-distance standards are 28:30 and 1:05, while the marathon standard is 2:19. "We added the shorter distances very deliberately," says Glenn Latimer, chair of the men's committee. "We wanted to encourage young, fast runners to move up to the marathon because we think it offers them better opportunities in the Olympics. Our shorter-distance standards are much tougher than the marathon standard, so we're only bringing in the true talent, and we're saving them the need to slog through a 2:18 marathon to get into the Marathon Trials."
Little is known about Rupp's training for the 26.2 mile distance. However, one of the Marathon Trials favorites, Dathan Ritzenhein, the first American finisher in the 2008 Olympic Marathon, just tweeted: "These long tempos would be tough without my boys @Mo_Farah, @Mad_Len, @stevemagness, and @G_Rupp! These guys are lifesavers." So it seems Rupp is doing at least some of Ritzenhein's marathon workouts.
In 2004, both Deena Kastor (bronze) and Meb Keflezighi (silver) won medals in the Olympic Marathon. Since then, more top Americans have moved up to the marathon earlier in their careers, perceiving it an easier path to an Olympic podium position than the demoralizing task of running 5000s and 10,000s on the track against waves of East Africans.
"I hope Rupp is serious about competing hard in the Marathon Trials," says Latimer. "I think he could be a marathon medal contender in London. Whereas in 10,000 meters, he won't win a medal."
One of the U.S.'s great marathoners, Bill Rodgers, a guy who never had Rupp-like track speed, agrees with Latimer. "As soon as Galen ran that fast 10,000 in September, I thought Alberto might enter him in the Marathon Trials," says Rodgers. "It's a smart move. In this sport, you've got to strike when the iron is hot. I hope Galen just follows the experienced marathoners in Houston and simply tries to make the Team. London is the place for the serious racing, and he could medal."
Some of Rupp's veteran-marathoner competitors won't be so excited by his entry. At the least, it makes the Trials a more uncertain and nerve-wracking race. At the worst, it could result in someone's losing a spot in the Olympics. But Ryan Hall says he's not letting any distractions interfere with his focus.
"Having Galen in the race," he says, "doesn't change my plans at all."
I do not see Rupp being a mere pacer for Ritz. Despite what posers on letsrun think, Rupp is tough as nails and a fierce competitor. He would not show up at a national olympic marathon trials just to run a 25k tempo to help a teammate, even if AlSal insisted on it.
I think he is going to go for it and will make the team. The mens field is basically Meb, Hall, Ritz, Trafeh, Rupp and the rest. Meb is vulnerable in trying to turn around after NY in November. Ritz has only recently been able to train 100%, and he is still just a 2:10 marathoner. Rupp is crazy fit after this summer's AR. All he has to do is just put in a bunch of miles. If he fails, he has a huge base to start his 5k/10k training for the trials and olympics.
You don't see it because it's not going to happen.
Run or not, Rupp is not pacing Ritz, so then you agree with me.
Well done and welcome to the club.
Webb beat him in a 5k last spring
haha YO wrote:
stuck with match.com wrote:it would hardly make the race more interesting since Rupp would be a non factor
A 26:48/60:30 guy definitly CAN be a factor. If you disagree you are one of the biggest idiots of all time. What is going to be interesting is seeing what Galen does. He isn't going to run the race and hang out in the back of the pack. If he starts, he will be up at the front. What he is doing at the front, whether it be pacing Ritz or gunning for a spot himself, is what will be fascinating to watch.
Why are you arguing with yourself?
The BS is starting to get deep.
Latimer , what a stupid comment , Rupp is running to make the team. Serious ? A team making effort will be serious. He will closer to a medal on the track in London vs marathon , the mix now has a few sub 2:06 guys.
Hall , I would bet when he heard the news , he sat down and took a breath.
A vote of confidence from the Director of LDR.
"I hope Rupp is serious about competing hard in the Marathon Trials," says Latimer. "I think he could be a marathon medal contender in London. Whereas in 10,000 meters, he won't win a medal."
4th fastest in 2011.
16th fastest ever.
Anyone who says Rupp isn't at the very least a strong contender for a medal in the 10,000 is either trolling hard or hating. You can argue you don't think it will happen, but he has shown he can contend.
34th fastest 1/2 in 2011.
Doesn't automatically translate to being a great marathoner and certainly doesn't make him a medal favorite.
What I think is clear is that he's gotten to a point where he wants to double at the Olympics (no way he triples). He's probably a shoo-in to land a 10k spot, but the 5k is not his specialty and dicey enough that it isn't a sure thing. If he gets a marathon slot he has more eggs in the basket to pick and choose from.
For some perspective on VF's last point, in 1972, ten days before winning the Olympic Marathon, Frank Shorter broke the American record in the 10,000 prelims (27:58), and broke it again in the finals (27:51), three days later, to come in sixth.
VF Runner wrote:
4th fastest in 2011.
16th fastest ever.
Anyone who says Rupp isn't at the very least a strong contender for a medal in the 10,000 is either trolling hard or hating. You can argue you don't think it will happen, but he has shown he can contend.
34th fastest 1/2 in 2011.
Doesn't automatically translate to being a great marathoner and certainly doesn't make him a medal favorite.
What I think is clear is that he's gotten to a point where he wants to double at the Olympics (no way he triples). He's probably a shoo-in to land a 10k spot, but the 5k is not his specialty and dicey enough that it isn't a sure thing. If he gets a marathon slot he has more eggs in the basket to pick and choose from.
With a decent showing at the WCs on the track why risk injury running a marathon. Does he want to injury himself like Ritz.
Is the 10k first? He can double...
As for the marathon I hope he does it. Can no one ask Salazar? Why the secrecy? Seems ridiculous and one of the reasons our sport sucks? Can the coach not give a statement?
Montesquieu wrote:
says Latimer: "I think he could be a marathon medal contender in London. Whereas in 10,000 meters, he won't win a medal."
Bill Rodgers: "London (marathon) is the place for the serious racing, and he could medal."
What are these guys smoking?? He's run a single race at 1/2 marathon distance or above in his entire life, and he is going to step into probably the toughest marathon race in championship history to medal in, with 3 insanely good Kenyans, 3 insanely good Ethiopians, and several others, and bring home a medal. What??! Did these guys happen to notice that 2:04 is the new 2:08 ?? Hey, if Galen is ready to run 2:03:45 come 2012, I TOO think he will be a medal contender. Problem is, he likely will only be able to run 2:06 at best. But what's 2+ minutes.
And furthermore, he IS without a doubt a bronze contender in the 10k.