You guys are making it out easier than it is. Do you really think that Rupp is able to run 26:15? That is 33 seconds faster than he has ever run, and 55 seconds faster than his next fastest 10k.
26:43 is the fastest time run in the last 8 years. only 3 guys have run under 26:30 in all of history, and they are all the "Best-all-time" types. (Bekele, Geb, Tergat). And 26:30 is 15 seconds off what a WR would be.
Look at the 5k times that were required to make it to 26:22 for Geb, and 26:17 for Bekele, and 26:27 for Tergat. Tergat ran 7:28/12:49/26:27 and 26:27 is 10 seconds slower than a new WR would be and the 10k was Tergat's best event of those three.
There is a reason that nobody has threatened 26:17 or 12:37 in 9 years.
Clearly, Farah has run spectacularly IN ONE RACE at 1500m and is faster than any distance runner in world history at 1500m. However, until he can run 7:25/12:46 for an average outing I don't see his chances as good for 26:15.
Today's runners race much less than those of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Which makes it harder to see what kind of shape they are in, and when they are in it. Because of this, it is POSSIBLE that Farah has been in 7:25/12:45/26:30 shape at various times over the last 3 yrs and just has not demonstrated it.
Even if he has been, those kind of times are the same amount of time behind a WR that he is in the 1500m (~2.5 secs/1500m or 1.8s/kilo). I don't think he has had 7:20/12:36/26:16 form the last several years and has just been hiding it from the world.
If the athletes were given carte blanche in terms of drug testing for six months or a year (like they were in the 90s) they would have a better shot at the 5k/10k WR.
I do agree with your pacing idea, and that is EXACTLY how it would need to go. They would need 2 guys to bring it through 5k in 13:08-13:10 and then a couple 12:50 level runners to bring them through 8k at the same pace (63 a lap) and then maintain on his own to the last lap and run the last one in 59-60. That would yield 26:15-16.