Chris Solinsky's 26:59 turns 10 years old today. Share your memories here.

Speaking of Solinsky, this thread is an oldie but a goodie:

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3959645

According to Wikipedia he weighed 165 lbs when he ran this race at 6'1" tall. That seems pretty bulky for an elite long-distance runner (BMI 21.8). Galen by comparison is listed at 134 lbs and 5'11" (BMI 18.7) but not sure how current that is.

Unpaid Nike Intern wrote:

My memory is that, since this race, Rupp has become the undisputed top caucasian runner of the East African era. Three more Olympic teams and two Olympic medals.

Solinskly lives in Gainesville, FL.

Yeah, what this thread is really highlighting is how great Rupp is and how much the moderators love to hate him.

Seriously. It was a great race at the time. But my memory now is what a waste of talent. Why did Solinsky get himself in peak form in the month of March or April for a relatively low level meet. He did well for himself for a year or two in the Diamond League meets. But I have to think he could have done better in the big summer meets had he not wasted his training so he could peak just to stick to Rupp at Payton Jordan.

Nike and Salazar set it up for Rupp to break the record. Solinsky was going for 27:30. So why was Rupp trying to run the best time in history in April? Solinsky wasn't peaking. He just ran over his head that day.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Unpaid Nike Intern wrote:

My memory is that, since this race, Rupp has become the undisputed top caucasian runner of the East African era. Three more Olympic teams and two Olympic medals.

Solinskly lives in Gainesville, FL.

Yeah, what this thread is really highlighting is how great Rupp is and how much the moderators love to hate him.

Seriously. It was a great race at the time. But my memory now is what a waste of talent. Why did Solinsky get himself in peak form in the month of March or April for a relatively low level meet. He did well for himself for a year or two in the Diamond League meets. But I have to think he could have done better in the big summer meets had he not wasted his training so he could peak just to stick to Rupp at Payton Jordan.

Lol imagine being mad about Solinsky's career enough to post this kind of stuff on a message board.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Seriously. It was a great race at the time. But my memory now is what a waste of talent. Why did Solinsky get himself in peak form in the month of March or April for a relatively low level meet. He did well for himself for a year or two in the Diamond League meets. But I have to think he could have done better in the big summer meets had he not wasted his training so he could peak just to stick to Rupp at Payton Jordan.

He ran sub 13 three times later that summer you scrub, was definitely not peaking at that point. Salazar apologists are almost as bad as Trump apologists.

Ryan Foreman wrote:

Seriously. It was a great race at the time. But my memory now is what a waste of talent. Why did Solinsky get himself in peak form in the month of March or April for a relatively low level meet. He did well for himself for a year or two in the Diamond League meets. But I have to think he could have done better in the big summer meets had he not wasted his training so he could peak just to stick to Rupp at Payton Jordan.

This guy has already been dunked on, but just to add my $.02.

There is no valid criticism on Solinky's 2010 season. He was in incredible shape all season, as evidenced by his 3 races sub 12:56. It was one of the great season's ever by an American distance runner, he just got unlucky there was no major championship.

The valid criticism is that he over trained, leading to a career ending injury just one year later.

My memory is that Galen Rupp ran a 26:44 which has not been beaten since, and is the best time since 9 years ago!!! Top that.

My memory is that a picture of a large man in long white socks showed up in SI the next week.

Not a bad time. That Rupp would CRUSH

tarckstar wrote:

My memory is that a picture of a large man in long white socks showed up in SI the next week.

What kind of porn you view is your business but it doesn't top 26:44 in any event.

Bad Wigins wrote:

My memory is that Galen Rupp ran a 26:44 which has not been beaten since, and is the best time since 9 years ago!!! Top that.

You all are forgetting history.

In Sep 2011, Rupp ran 26:48 to take the record from Solinsky, who had held the AR for ~18 months by then. This is the same race Bekele came back after dropping out of WC and running the "10 year" world lead of 26:43.

In May 2014 Rupp ran 26:44 to break the AR again, this time at Eugene.

So the current AR is 6 years old and it has been the WL for 6 years. His 26:48 didn't even win the race (he was 3rd).

Still, I'm not sure that anyone else has run two sub 27s in the last 9 years. Maybe Farah?

I am a fan of both. Solinsky was the first sub 27 American and it was his first 10k. The barrier is a big deal, sort of why we still celebrate Bannister. But doing it in his first race is unparalleled.

Who is solinksy?

He ever win any olympic or world championship medals?

You run a race to win not for time.

Woody Kincaid and his 12:58 time trial is on track to become the next Solinsky. All time trialing, no winning.

RegionalAtBest wrote:

Great article! And, one of the best American race efforts ever.

Did anyone else come away from it thinking that if he didn't eat a crappy Little Caesar's pizza the day before, he might not have gotten a cramp in the middle of the race?! I know it was probably 24 hours before, but don't underestimate how terrible that pizza is!

Not all of us are closest anorexics.

shootpost wrote:

Who is solinksy?

He ever win any olympic or world championship medals?

You run a race to win not for time.

Woody Kincaid and his 12:58 time trial is on track to become the next Solinsky. All time trialing, no winning.

I was JUST going to say this ^

What do Sydney Maree, Woody Kincaid, and Chris Solinsky have in common? (Might add Morgan McDonald to that.)

You are an evil person. Solinsky is a 14 time NCAA All American and 2 time Footlocker National Champ. During his 4 years in college, Wisconsin won the Big 10 all 12 times.

older not wiser wrote:

You are an evil person. Solinsky is a 14 time NCAA All American and 2 time Footlocker National Champ. During his 4 years in college, Wisconsin won the Big 10 all 12 times.

Footlocker Champ > Olympic Champ