5 Thoughts After Galen Rupp’s American 5,000 Record And Mary Cain’s World Junior Indoor 1,000 Record

Great News, Team USA Fans – Rupp’s #1 Goal For The Indoor Season Isn’t American Records But World Indoors

by LetsRun.com
January 16, 2014

Tonight in Boston, Galen Rupp ran 13:01.26 to crush Lopez Lomong’s previous record of 13:07.00. If you want a race recap and  results that is here.

Below are our five quick thoughts after Galen Rupp got the American 5,000 record back, and Mary Cain and Treniere Moser were more than five seconds off their dream time.

Plus video interviews with Rupp and coach Alberto Salazar.

Photo Gallery here.

1) Very well done, Galen. Will the hot streak continue through World Indoors on March 9th?

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Rupp was insanely good last year indoors. He ran 3:50.92 for the mile and 7:30.16 for 3,000. Tonight’s run showed he’s intent on picking up where he left off last year indoors as this was very impressive and certainly the best opener of his career. As Rupp said after the race, normally he starts off the season a little bit slowly (interview embedded on right), “I was a little nervous coming in because my first race has always been a little sub-par.”

There was nothing sub-par about this tonight. He led every step the last 1,600. Might this be the first of three American records over the span of 23 days for Rupp? It’s certainly possible.

We like the fact that Rupp has announced when and where he’s racing so fans can get excited for his record attempts. As well as he’s started, we sure hope he’s planning on racing through World Indoors in Poland on March 9th (see below). With no global outdoor championships, there’s no reason not to go to World Indoors.

Remember in 2012, Rupp surprisingly didn’t qualify for World Indoors in the 3,000 and had to run the 1,500 instead, where he went out in the prelims. Two years later, he’ll return to Worlds with an Olympic 10,000 silver medal in his pocket and most likely a slew of American records on his resume as well as inconceivable it may sound a world record in the indoor mile. It’s been a great 730 days for Mr. Rupp.

2) The most exciting news coming out of the meet (besides the record) was Alberto Salazar telling us Rupp’s #1 goal for indoors is indeed World Indoors.

So as explained above, our first thought after the race was, “Wow, that was amazing, we sure hope Rupp goes to World Indoors” as to us track is at its very best when it’s about competition, not time. Well the good news is we caught up with Rupp’s coach Alberto Salazar after the race and he said Rupp is indeed focused on World Indoors.

“A fast time – an American record is great. We like to set records, but at the same time the most important thing is competing. The most important thing this year is to make the US World Championship team in Albuquerque which will be tough and then to do well in the Worlds at Poland,” said Salazar (video below on right). “We’d rather not get any of these records and do well there.”

Salazar said the rest of his crew – Cain, Moser, etc – are also going to try to go there as well.Great to hear. Go USA.

3) Welcome back to relevance, Sam Chelanga.

Chelanga enjoyed a spectacular collegiate career during which he set the collegiate 10,000 record (27:08.39) in the race Chris Solinsky ran 26:59.60 and Galen Rupp 27:10.74, but it’s been a bit tough for him post-collegiately. As a Kenyan, it’s hard to be truly relevant unless you are one of the very best in the world. Chelanga did run 13:09 post-collegiately in 2012 at Pre but that’s not getting you much when the winner runs 12:56.98 (Mo Farah). Chelanga has recently found the perfect spot in training under Mark Coogan with Ben True, but now Coogan is leaving to work at New Balance and Chelanga will need to find a new coach. Hopefully, this run today gives Chelanga, who wants to be an American citizen, the confidence he needs to realize he can easily be a sub-13 guy in the years to come. And a 12:55-13:05 American is amazingly relevant (a 12:55-13:05 Kenyan not so much).

As for Coogan, he texted us after the race, “I was pretty confident in Sam tonight. He and I knew he could run about 13:05 in a controlled race. It was a good environment to race.”

4) No, the rabbit didn’t cost Cain and/or Moser the women’s 1k record.

In the women’s 1,000, Mary Cain and Treniere Moser were more than five seconds off of Jen Toomey‘s American record of 2:34.19. Yes, the rabbitting by former Penn State runner Fawn Dorr was bad. After a good opening 200 of 30.41 she hit 400 in 63.91 and 600 1:36.20 – marks that are way too slow as even-paced would be 61.76 for 400 and 1:32.51 for 600. But that didn’t cost them the record. As we told you before the race, there was no way it was going to happen. The record would have been way better than any single performance Moser or Cain has had in their careers and to expect to open up in that shape (Cain did run some low-key races last week) was completely unrealistic.

We don’t want to hear anything about the slow rabbit. Even after the pedestrian first 600 of 1:36.20 – nearly 4 seconds slower than American record pace, the final 400 was only covered in 63.05 – way slower than 61.76 pace they’d need to average per 400 for the whole way from the gun.

Cain’s run was still very good. In addition to being a new world junior indoor record, it’s equal to about a 2:01.7-8 for 800.

5) It was great to see Rupp having some fun after the race.

He truly looked happy clapping the hands of the fans ringed around the track.

More: LRC Recap of Race: LRC Galen Rupp Breaks American Indoor 5000 Record – Runs 13:01.26 in Boston
Message Board Discussions: 2014 N.O.P. Women’s 1k – Men’s 5k AR Attempt Live Coverage Thread
*Galen MF Rupp 13:01.26!!!!!!!!
*My wife is going to have a baby within 2 hours, should we name it Galen??

Photos Gallery Here (100+ Photos): Rupp and Salazar were all smiles after this one.

Galen Rupp 13:01.26 Fist Pump Galen Rupp 13:01.26 Fist Pump
Galen Rupp and Alberto Salazar Before His 5000m Record Galen Rupp and Alberto Salazar Before His 5000m Record
Galen Rupp A Blur Galen Rupp A Blur

 

Galen Rupp Celebrates With the Fans Galen Rupp Celebrates With the Fans

 

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