Monaco 5000: Four Men Break 13:00 But Americans Lagat and Rupp Struggle

Edwin Soi Runs World Leading 12:51.34 as Lagat Drops Out And Rupp Runs 13:05.17

by LetsRun.com
July 19, 2013

Monaco – The men’s 5000m at the 2013 Herculis Monaco track and field meeting did not live up to its pre-race hype for the American men. Rivals Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp were squaring off with the American record a possible target as the race was being set up for the meet record of 12:53.11 to fall, and conveniently enough Lagat’s American record is 12:53.60.

In the end, the meet record did fall as the top two men ran 12:51 led by Edwin Soi‘s world leading 12:51.34, but the Americans were no were close to that. Lagat ended up dropping out around half-way and Rupp would run in no man’s land chasing the leaders for much of the race before finishing sixth in 13:05.17

The Race

Lawi Lalang just after 1600 and the clock still says 4:03

Rupp was a non-factor in 13:05 in this one because the race started FAST. The first km was 2:31.70 which is right at world record pace. 2km was reached in 5:04.03 which was still 12:40 pace. The pace was consistently slowing town, but the field had been broken up into various groups, and once broken, no one was able to bridge the gap even though the lead group was slowing somewhat dramatically until the kick for home.

Here were the km splits for the leader. Each one slower than the previous one until the end – 2:31.70 – 2:32.33 – 2:37.61 – 2:39.30 – 2:30.40

Up front there were five guys battling for the win over the final mile, Kenyans Edwin Soi, Isiah Koech, and Thomas Longosiwa, Bahrain’s Albert Rop and the University of Arizona star Lawi Lalang (also of Kenya).

Galen Rupp was only a couple of seconds back until the kicking started but he clearly wasn’t having his best day and never could bridge the gap after the incredibly fast start.

Rupp trying to catch up just past 3k

With about 700 meters to go, Lalang started to pay for the incredibly ambitious early pace as he fell off. Just before the bell, this race turned into a two person affair as Soi and Rop got clear of Koech and Logosiwa. In the end, Rop couldn’t handle Soi’s 56.62 last lap (you can watch race highlights on the bottom, we’ve embedded it to start at the bell) but he still ended up second in 12:51.96 – a new Asian record. Koech, who won the Kenyan trials last week, ended up third in a seasonal best of 12:56.08. Thomas Longosiwa also broke 13:00 at 12:59.81.

Lawi Lalang just missed becoming the first collegian under 13:00.00 but he did end up with the fastest time ever run by a collegian at 13:00.95.

Looking For The Best Shoes?

Best Overall Training Shoe

ASICS SUPERBLAST

Buy now for $199 See All Reviews

Quick thoughts, then results and then the race video appear below.

Quick Thought #1: After the race, Lagat was not available for interviews as he was talking with his coach James Li. Lagat’s agent James Templeton said Lagat pointed to his side during the race and James thought that mean a side stitch, but Lagat was really pointing at his hip which gave him problems last year. James said he thought Lagat would be fine by Worlds.

Lagat said the same thing via twitter afterwards:

Sorry to disappoint tonight. Thank you @DrJoshGlass & Dustin Williams @trainer911 for taking care of my hip. I’ll be back strong for Moscow

— Bernard Lagat (@Lagat1500) July 19, 2013

 

Quick Thought #2: Rupp declined to speak to the media after the race with his agent Ricky Simms saying he was tired. It was a weird day for the Alberto Salazar coached runners. Mo Farah was way better than could have been imagined in the men’s 1500 but we’re sure Alberto was hoping for more than a last place in the 1500 by Treniere Moser and a 13:05 by Rupp.

If Mo Farah had been in this race, this might have gone very differently for Rupp as we imagine Farah could have stayed off the suicidal early page and worked with Rupp to catch the tiring leaders.

More: MB: Oregon Project: Mixed results in Monaco

Quick Thought #3: Perhaps the heat caught up to the guys up front who were really going for it. This race took place at 8:55 local time but it was still 80 degrees when the meet was over at 10 pm.

Quick Thought #4: A great race by Lawi Lalang who just missed the magical 13:00 barrier but saw his incredible European campaign continue. Running the fastest 5000 time in collegiate history speaks for itself, but the way he ran this race was honestly more impressive than his time. When the pace was slowing, he showed no hesitation in passing guys and pushing the pace.

Lalang ran 3:33.20 2 weeks ago in Paris and now runs 13:00. Very impressive. Now it’s back to Arizona for him as this was his final track race of the year.

Quick Thought #5: The 18-year old Albert Rop had never broken 13:00 until last Saturday when he ran 12:59 in Belgium. Now he’s a 12:51.96 guy. He’s a talent who ran 13:03 in 2011 and 13:01 last year.

Check out his races this year. Every time he runs, he gets faster:

13:52.54 24 May
13:21.18 1 Jun
13:10.14 AJR 6 Jun
13:09.84 AJR 9 Jun
12:59.43 NR AJR 13 Jul
12:51.96 AR AJR PB (2) 19 Jul

Quick Thought #6: Ben True ran 13:13.98 for eighth and now has run four races in the 13:11-13:16 range this year. He said he thinks he’s in better shape than that, but hasn’t put it all together in a race yet. Here he was left leading the 3rd pack and he didn’t have enough to do it on his own on a warm night in Monaco.

Ben also talks a little about not going to Worlds and talks about how he could have been more proactive in pushing the pace in the 5000m at USAs.

Results

Race Highlights (Embedded to start at last lap)