Is Galen Rupp Done? Chicago Marathon 2025 Could Be His Final Stand

For half a decade, Galen Rupp was the face of American marathoning, an Olympic medalist, Chicago champion, and a consistent challenger to the world’s best. But as the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon approaches, the question is: does Rupp have anything left?

The numbers currently paint a grim picture. Rupp, now 39, hasn’t looked like his old self since finishing second in Chicago back in 2021. Since then, he’s battled chronic back problems, underwent hip surgery, missed most of 2024, and finished just 16th at the Olympic Trials. In his only tune-up races this fall, he was 18th at the US 20K Championships and ran 62:42 at the Philly Half Marathon, solid for most, but far from vintage Rupp.

That’s not the athlete who once topped the field in Chicago and has a 2:06:07 personal best.

Galen Rupp Winning the 2020 Olympic Trials (Kevin Morris photo)

Podcast Perspective: “He just hasn’t been the old Galen Rupp”

On this week’s LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast, the team discussed Rupp’s form and future,  and the consensus was blunt.

My expectations aren’t very high,” said co-host Jonathan Gault. “He was remarkably healthy for the first 10 years of his career and produced a ton of great results. The last few years he’s had a lot of injuries…. the back injury in the lead up to the Trials, major hip surgery in 2024… he hasn’t really shown, to be the old Galen Rupp.

LetsRun.com co-founder Robert Johnson noted Rupp’s 62:42 half marathon in Philadelphia equates to roughly a 2:12 marathon on the World Athletics tables, far from his prime.

Sub 2:10 will be great for him, but I don’t think that really means anything. I guess he can run a fast Master’s time soon anymore. I think the days of us considering him a factor are over. I want to see under 2:10. 62:42, by the way, is 2:12 and change in the World Athletics scoring tables.

Still, everyone was cognizant of recent American history where Meb Keflezighi (2016 team at age 41) and Abdi Abdirahman (2020 team at age 43) both made US Olympic Marathon teams over the age of 40 after previously not making a team earlier in their careers.

If you told me, hey, Galen Rupp is gonna have two and a half years of uninterrupted healthy training between now and March of 2028 when we have the Olympic Trials, yeah, I’d say, okay, he’s got a shot… We’ve seen guys in their forties make Olympic marathon teams. Meb Keflezighi did it. Abdi Abdirahman did it.

Galen Rupp at the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials (Kevin Morris photo)

A career in limbo

For years, Rupp was America’s marathon standard-bearer: an Olympic medalist, two-time Trials champion, and the 2017 Chicago winner. But time and injury catch everyone. He hasn’t broken 2:09 since 2023, and for the first time, finishing inside the top 10 in a major would count as progress.

Yet if there’s a city where Rupp could rekindle something, it’s Chicago. The flat course has always suited him. And if he can run under 2:10, he could at least prove he’s still relevant as an American.

The Bottom Line

Rupp just needs to show that his body can hold up again and that the flame hasn’t gone out completely.

Listen: Conner Mantz American Record Alert — Chicago Marathon & Athlos Preview

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