Mo Farah Gets Revenge and Wins – Galen Rupp Finishes Finished Fourth in Men’s 10,000 at 2013 IAAF World Championships

by LetsRun.com
August 10, 2013

Moscow, Russia – Double Olympic 10,000 champ Mo Farah came into the 2013 IAAF World Championships men’s 10,000 tonight at Luzhniki Stadium as the prohibitive favorite but a few distance aficionados thought he might seriously challenged for the title by a worthy opponent from Ethiopian. That is exactly what happened but with a twist.

Jeilan made Mo work of this one Jeilan made Mo work of this one (Flash photo gallery here)

Farah won his first World Championship 10,000 title in 27:21.71 by winning a spirited duel down the homestretch with a worthy Ethiopian rival – except the Ethiopian rival wasn’t Dejen Gebremeskel as so many expected. Gebremeskel surprisingly fell off the leaders with four laps remaining in the race. Rather it was Ibrahim Jeilan, the man who had upset Farah in the 10,000 at Worlds in 2011 before missing all of last year with injury, who fought Farah fiercely for the title and ended up second in 27:22.23.

With 100 to go, Farah looked over his shoulder and saw Jeilan right there. Farah started to pull away but  Jeilan came back on him. Was another shocker in store? No, Farah pulled away late to win.

The Mobot comes out after a 4th World/Olympic gold. The Mobot comes out after a 4th World/Olympic gold.

Behind Farah and Jeilan, it was the runner-up at the Kenyan Trials, 22-year old Paul Tanui, who ended up third here in 27:22.61. Tanui is no slouch as he was also the runner-up at the 2011 World Cross Country meet in 2011.

Finishing a well-beaten fourth in 27:24.39, only one spot but nearly two seconds out of the medals was American Galen Rupp, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist. Rupp’s teammate and training partner Dathan Ritzenhein, who stayed with the leaders until roughly 500 remained, ended up 10th in 27:37.90. The third American Chris Derrick “totally cracked” with six laps remaining and ended up 18th in 28:04.54.

The Race

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For the most part, this race was on a fairly steady 27:40 pace until the fast close over the final one thousand of 2:26.23 (leader to leader – you can get lap by lap splits by reading the messageboard discussion of the race). At 8k (22:11.39), the lead pack still consisted of 17 men. At 9k, the real running hadn’t begun as Ritzenhein actually led but then the racing began in earnest. A 31.12 200 brought the field to 800 to go and there were still ten men in the lead pack. However, after a 60.62 penultimate lap, the lead pack was down to six men.

Ibrahim Jeilan had reason to smile after this one Ibrahim Jeilan had reason to smile after this one

Jeilan did make it a little suspenseful when he briefly gained on Farah with about 70 meters remaining, but in hindsight, everyone should have known it was all but over just before 800 remained when Farah assumed the lead (with about 815 remaining Farah and Rupp were 1-2).

Farah has proven time and time again, he’s able to control races from the front. Others have closed nearly as fast or as fast as Farah in the past, but when you are behind and running more ground, you are destined to lose. More experienced than he was in 2011, Mo wasn’t about to kick too early like some thought occurred two years ago.

This was perfectly measured 28.0 first 200, 26.5 last 200, game over.

Quick takes and results appear below.

Quick Take #1: When you get silver the year before, it’s natural to be disappointed with fourth this year but fourth place for Galen Rupp is nothing to be ashamed of. Fourth is the highest an American male has ever finished in the 10,000 at Worlds. The highest previous finish for an American? Sixth by Dathan Ritzenhein in 2009. Seventh achieved by Todd Williams in 1993 and Rupp in 2011. Rupp’s now run the 10,000 at Worlds four times. His previous three finishes were as follows – 11th (2007), eighth (2009), and seventh (2011).

QT #2: We didn’t get to hear what Galen thought of his race as he walked through the mixed zone without stopping to the media that wants to record interviews with a video recorder (which is relegated to the back of the mixed zone) but he did talk to some print reporters. David Monti told us Rupp was disappointed he didn’t medal and took no solace being the highest American finisher in a 10,000 at Worlds. Rupp indicated he definitely would be doubling back in the 5,000. 

Monti’s article on the race has the following quote from Rupp, “I was right there where I needed to be. I just didn’t quite have it the last 200.”

QT #3: Big time props to Jeilan for battling back after last year’s injuries. When we watched him out-kick Ben True in 5000 in the adidas Grand Prix in New York in May, we thought Jeilan was being overly optimistic when he told us he needed to start getting ready for Worlds. He’s a bit time talent who very well may be the favorite in 2015 if Farah has moved to the marathon.

QT #4: While he fell off with roughly four laps remaining, 2012 Olympic 5000 silver medallist Dejen Gebremeskel did continue on and he finished 16th in 27:51.88. We didn’t see him come through the mix zone so we’re not sure what happened to him.

After a win at Carlsbad and the BAA 5k, Gebremeskel bombed in the 5000 at the adidas Grand Prix (13:31.02), but that seemed like an aberration as he then ran world leading 26:51.02 10,000 on June 23rd instead of running the BAA 10k on June 27th, the second event of three event BAA distance medley series which were are virtually certain would have netted Gebremeskel $100,000 as the series winner.

His next race was this disaster. We bet he now wishes in hindsight he’d run the BAA 10k.

QT #5: We caught up with a lively but disappointed Chris Derrick after the race. “It was terrible,” said Derrick who said he “totally cracked” with six laps to go.

“It really, really sucked. It was a pile of poop out there that last mile,” said Derrick who wondered if his last mile was five minutes. We’re note sure what it was but now it had to be faster than that as the leader ran 4:04 and Derrick lost contact with six laps remaining and finished 43-seconds behind Farah.

Derrick is hoping to regroup and run a 5000 in Brussels before calling it a season.

You can listen to the audio only interview of Derrick here. Video interviews here.

QT #7: Wisconsin’s Mo Ahmed had a great race to finish 9th. He’s still had indoor and outdoor eligibility left and is looking forward to battling 13:00 man Lawi Lalang next spring. Our interview with him is here.

Do you like listening/watching interviews? We’ve got more 10,000 interviews here: LRC 2013 World Championships 10,000m Video Interviews: Mo Farah, Ibrahim Jeilian, Paul Tanui, Dathan Ritzenhein, Mo Ahmed and More.
*Men’s 10,000m photo gallery here.

QT #8: The 1600 splits were as follows.

1600 Splits
1st: 4:27.24 for 1600

2nd: 4:25.81 – 18:53.05 for 3200
3rd: 4:23.42 – 13:16.47 for 4800 meters 13:49.85 for 5k

4th: 4:28:80 – 17:45.27 for 6400 meters
5th: 4:26.13 – 22:11.39 for 8000 meters (17 still in lead pack)
6th: 4:15.79 – 26:27.12 for 9400 and then a 54.59 last lap
Last 1600: 4:04.95 (last 5 laps: 65.33 , 66.14, 63.70, 60.62, 54.49 – last 800: 1:55.11)

QT #87: Here’s how the last 600 went down in pictures.

Things were looking great for Rupp with just over 600 left

Just over 400 left


Just over 200 to go

Mo’s still working hard with just over 50 to go

More in Depth: Five Thoughts About the Men’s 10,000m

We’ve got a men’s 10,000m photo gallery here.

Results:

Farah had to work for this win Farah had to work for this win
POS BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY MARK
Details 1 482 Mohamed Farah GBRGBR 27:21.71 SB
Details 2 424 Ibrahim Jeilan ETHETH 27:22.23 SB
Details 3 724 Paul Kipngetich Tanui KENKEN 27:22.61
Details 4 1162 Galen Rupp USAUSA 27:24.39 SB
Details 5 426 Abera Kuma ETHETH 27:25.27
Details 6 719 Bedan Karoki Muchiri KENKEN 27:27.17
Details 7 708 Kenneth Kiprop Kipkemoi KENKEN 27:28.50 SB
Details 8 362 Nguse Amlosom ERIERI 27:29.21 SB
Details 9 239 Mohammed Ahmed CANCAN 27:35.76 SB
Details 10 1160 Dathan Ritzenhein USAUSA 27:37.90 SB
Details 11 1076 Thomas Ayeko UGAUGA 27:40.96 PB
Details 12 428 Imane Merga ETHETH 27:42.02
Details 13 1081 Moses Ndiema Kipsiro UGAUGA 27:44.53 SB
Details 14 255 Cameron Levins CANCAN 27:47.89 SB
Details 15 688 Tsuyoshi Ugachi JPNJPN 27:50.79 SB
Details 16 422 Dejen Gebremeskel ETHETH 27:51.88
Details 17 365 Goitom Kifle ERIERI 27:56.38
Details 18 1120 Chris Derrick USAUSA 28:04.54 SB
Details 19 627 Daniele Meucci ITAITA 28:06.74 SB
Details 20 917 Stephen Mokoka RSARSA 28:11.61
Details 21 682 Suguru Osako JPNJPN 28:19.50
Details 22 1084 Timothy Toroitich UGAUGA 28:33.61
Details 23 174 Bashir Abdi BELBEL 28:41.69
Details 24 132 Collis Birmingham AUSAUS 28:44.82 SB
Details 25 962 Yevgeny Rybakov RUSRUS 28:47.49
Details 979 Robert Kajuga RWARWA DNF
Details 684 Yuki Sato JPNJPN DNF
Details 844 Jake Robertson NZLNZL DNF
Details 1070 Polat Kemboi Arikan TURTUR DNF
Details 226 Alemu Bekele BRNBRN DNF
Details 367 Teklemariam Medhin ERIERI DNF
Details 786 Juan Luis Barrios MEXMEX DNF
Details 143 Ben St.Lawrence AUSAUS DNS
Details 228 Ali Hasan Mahbood BRNBRN DNS
Details 742 Moukheld Al-Outaibi KSAKSA DNS

More in Depth: LRC Five Thoughts About the Men’s 10,000m
LRC 2013 World Championships 10,000m Video Interviews: Mo Farah, Ibrahim Jeilian, Paul Tanui, Dathan Ritzenhein, Mo Ahmed and More.
*Men’s 10,000m photo gallery here.

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