Galen Rupp Goes For It, Fades To 13:05 as Muktar Edris Arrives With World Leading 12:54.83

by LetsRun.com
August 21, 2014

Bernard Lagat’s 5000 American record lives another day.

Galen Rupp, in his return to racing for the first time since becoming the father of twins, ran aggressively tonight in the men’s 5000 at the 2014 DN Galan meet in Stockholm, running on the heels of the rabbit in the middle of the race, but did not have anything left over the final two laps, particularly the final 500, and had to settle for a 13:05.97 4th-place finish.

2012 World Junior 5000m champion Muktar Edris closed in 55.79 to get his first Diamond League win in a world-leading 12:54.83, as Thomas Longosiwa ran a season’s best of 12:56.16 and Caleb Ndiku, the Commonwealth and African champ, broke 13:00 for the first time in 12:59.17.

American Hassan Mead, off the main pack by halfway, maintained his pace well and rallied for a 6th-place finish in 13:07.81 as Ben True ran 13:13.33 and Cam Levins came up well short of the Canadian record (13:13), finishing 10th in 13:25.90.

World, it's time to meet Muktar Edris World, it’s time to meet Muktar Edris

The Race

The pacing was not even, as after a quick opening km in  2:33.26, they slowed to 5:11 at 2k, but rallied to a 7:45.33 at 3k. Regardless, fast times were still a possibility as that is 12:55 pace.

When the final rabbit Vincent Rono dropped out, Rupp assumed the lead and there were five others with Rupp in the lead pack (Edris, Longosiwa, Ndiku, Hagos Gebrhiwet, and the only man already sub 13:00 this year, Edwin Soi). Without the help of a rabbit, the pace slowed as Rupp took his foot off the accelerator and the next 3 laps were 63.57, 64.35 and 64.51 (13:00 is 62.4 pace) which brought them to 10:58 with 800m to go. At this point, the winner was definitely going to go sub 13:00 and Rupp’s 12:58.90 personal best was still a real possibility.

With 800m to go Ndiku took the lead. His 61.30 penultimate lap — really his 29-second 200 from 600 to 400 left — dropped Rupp and Soi with ease (Gebrhiwet had already faded off the main pack) as Rupp went from hanging on to the lead pack with 200 to go almost two seconds back at the bell. At the bell it was a three-man battle between Ndiku, Edris, and Longosiwa.

Ndiku led on to the back-stretch where Edris and Longosiwa passed him. Ndiku battled back on the turn, but coming off the final bend it was all Edris. Longosiwa tried to stay close, but it was not in doubt as Edris pumped his arms in the air to celebrate his first Diamond League victory and his 55.79 final lap.

Results
1 Edris , Muktar ETH 12:54.83
2 Longosiwa , Thomas Pkemei KEN 12:56.16 3 Ndiku , Caleb Mwangangi KEN 12:59.17
4 Rupp , Galen USA 13:05.97
5 Soi , Edwin Cheruiyot KEN 13:07.68
6 Mead , Hassan USA 13:07.81
7 Gebrhiwet , Hagos ETH 13:12.40
8 True , Ben USA 13:13.33
9 Koech , Isiah Kiplangat KEN 13:24.53
10 Levins , Cameron CAN 13:25.90
11 Gabius , Arne GER 13:31.91
12 Robertson , Zane NZL 13:43.19
13 Kipsiro , Moses Ndiema UGA 13:44.62 Barusei , Geoffrey Kibet KEN DNF
Cheru , Tesfaye ETH DNF
Essalhi , Younés MAR DNF
Rono , Vincent KEN DNF
Intermediate times:
1000m BARUSEI, Geofrey (KEN)2:33.26
2000m RONO, Vincent (KEN)5:11.00
3000m RUPP, Galen (USA)7:45.33
4000m NDIKU, Caleb Mwangangi (KEN) 10:25.65s

Quick Take #1: Galen Rupp Remains a Much Better 10,000 Than 5,000m Runner

Maybe Galen Rupp just isn’t a 5000m runner. Hard to say that about someone who ran 13:01 in his first race of the year indoors, but Rupp still has only broken 13:00 one time in his career. He’s a 26:44.36 10,000m runner (equivalent to 12:49 for 5000). We still expect him to get Lagat’s American record at 5000m, but until he does so, it might be best to temper your expectations about Galen when he races at 5000m.

Article continues below player.

Galen did become a dad since his last race, and have a long break, but at 3000m we’d have bet a lot of money he’d break 13:00 today.

QT #2: Nice Win and HUGE Breakthrough for Edris

The 20-year-old world junior champ in 2012 at 5000m did make the Worlds team last year for Ethiopia (where he was 7th) and have a nice win in Ostrava, but this was his first major win in Europe. Only in a country with the depth like Ethiopia is the former World Junior champion relatively unknown.

All of that being said, this was a HUGE breakthrough for him. His pb coming into this race was 13:03.69 from that Ostrava race which marked the end of Kenenisa Bekele‘s track career in many ways (LRC Archives: 2013 Ostrava Analysis).

QT #3 Gebrhiwet’s struggles continue

2014 has not been a good year for Hagos Gebrhiwet. A consistent top-3 performer last year, Gebrhiwet did win in Glasgow this year, but besides that it has been sub-par performances. He DNF’d at the African champs and was only 7th here.

Gebrhiwet’s 2014 Races at 5000:

May 18 – 13:06.88 3rd in Shanghai
May 31 – 13:13.19 7th at Pre
July 5 – 13:20.17 12th in Paris
July 11 – 13:11.09 1st in Glagow
Aug 14 – DNF African champs
August 21 – 13:12.40 7th in Stockholm

Just past halfway Just past halfway

QT #4 It’s 5000m, not 2500

We’ve got a screen shot just past half-way on the right. Hassan Mead is fourth-from-last of the guys on the homestretch. Zane Robertson is the third guy up front. By the finish, the order was very different as Mead was 6th in 13:07 while Robertson was 12th in 13:43. The point is that looks can be deceiving early and if guys get in over their head they can die really badly. Mead was likely at 6:31 at 2500m meaning he was right on 13:02 pr pace.

Discuss this race in our forum: MB: RUPP GOES FOR IT – Comes up short over last 500 – 13:05. 
Pre-Race: *Galen Rupp WILL NOT get the 5000m AR in Stockholm 
*
RUPP – TRUE – MEAD – Enterened in Loaded Stockholm 5000! Let it roll!!.

Splits:

Pacintg
2:33.26 1km
5:11.00 2km
Last 7 laps:
61.42 8 man lead pack
62.2 (7:45.33 3000m), 8:17 3200
63.57  8:49 1600 to go
64.35 3 to go
64.51 10:58 ndiku lead 800 to go
61.30
55.78

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