recent college grad wrote:
I just read the article on the main page comparing Hall in 2007 and Rupp this year. I was 13 in 2007 so didn't realize how good he was.
Who would have won?
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2017/10/comes-top-marathon-2007-ryan-hall-2017-galen-rupp-bad-tv-coverage-plus-another-german-star/
This is really no contest.
Hall's slowest time in WMM was 2:09, which is Rupp's PR. So even hall racing slow would beat Galen's current marathon ability, since we are basing it on 2017.
Galen's ability just isn't on that level, and might never be on that level. IN Ryan Hall's first marathon, he ran 2:08. In his second marathon, which was the olympic trails, he won with a time of 2:09. Galen won his olympic trial in 2:11.
In Hall's third marathon, he ran 2:06, the third fastest american marathon time!
His first time running boston he ran 2:09, and in his second time running boston he ran 2:08. In his third time racing boston, he ran 2:04, pacing Mutai to a course record of 2:03:02. That was the fastest time ever run in a marathon race at the time. However, the time isn't listed as a WR , because Boston isn't WR legal.
After that, he became injury prone. His hamstring went out on him, and he was never the same. He went through what Bekele is going through. HE could no longer handle the distance or run fast times.
No way in hell would Rupp stand a chance against a prime,healthy Ryan Hall. Ryan would soup up the pace to 2:08 and just coast, while Rupp would struggle trying to keep up, and by the 18th mile, Hall would crank it up again, and take it to 2:06 pace. And that would be all she wrote for Rupp.
I like Rupp. I think his very talented, but also very overrated. He has never in his life been able to keep up with fast, fast elite african runners. Hall has.
Again, and in form Rupp would get slaughtered against an in form, healthy Ryan Hall. It wouldn't be pretty.