Galen MFing Rupp

Wow. Just wow. If he doesn't medal I would be very surprised.

10k AND 5k US champ? Passed by Lagat and then passes him back while running a 52 last lap? Yeah, he's fit.

Nice kick, huh?

And, oh yeah... it pushed him to beat an Olympic Trials record set in 1972 by Steve Prefontaine.

Excellent race! As was the women's side, too.

Great last lap. Couldn't believe he came back and passed Lagat. That's another monkey off his back.

Mark B wrote:Nice kick, huh?

And, oh yeah... it pushed him to beat an Olympic Trials record set in 1972 by Steve Prefontaine.

Certainly added a nice story line, but I'm sure lots of guys could have beaten that time over the years. Pre only knew one way to race, and that was all out. Trials races aren't typically fast.

The final chapter in the Galen Rupp Show hasn't been written. What happens in London will be the enduring memory. IMO the women's race was the story of the trials. Thank you, NBC, for showing the photo finish! And not only was the race close, for Conley to have beaten the "A" standard by 0.21 seconds in a 5K, after so miuch of the race was run slowly. We talk about Ritz missing out by 8 seconds as devastating to him. 1" and a blink of an eye and Lucas is going to London. Can you imagine how she feels this morning?

I am beyond impressed with the runner Rupp has become. Dominant.

Martin VW wrote:

Mark B wrote:Nice kick, huh?

And, oh yeah... it pushed him to beat an Olympic Trials record set in 1972 by Steve Prefontaine.

Certainly added a nice story line, but I'm sure lots of guys could have beaten that time over the years. Pre only knew one way to race, and that was all out. Trials races aren't typically fast.

The final chapter in the Galen Rupp Show hasn't been written. What happens in London will be the enduring memory. IMO the women's race was the story of the trials. Thank you, NBC, for showing the photo finish! And not only was the race close, for Conley to have beaten the "A" standard by 0.21 seconds in a 5K, after so miuch of the race was run slowly. We talk about Ritz missing out by 8 seconds as devastating to him. 1" and a blink of an eye and Lucas is going to London. Can you imagine how she feels this morning?

Yeah, what a night, Flotrack interviewed Julia afterwards. She admitted a huge tactical mistake.

The best part is that both races were somewhat tactical, but then they really became races. And racing is why we watch and love the sport.

So is Rupp planning on running both the 5 and 10K in London? Wonder where he has a better chance to medal?? Thoughts??

Martin VW wrote:

Mark B wrote:Nice kick, huh?

And, oh yeah... it pushed him to beat an Olympic Trials record set in 1972 by Steve Prefontaine.

Certainly added a nice story line, but I'm sure lots of guys could have beaten that time over the years. Pre only knew one way to race, and that was all out. Trials races aren't typically fast.

The final chapter in the Galen Rupp Show hasn't been written. What happens in London will be the enduring memory. IMO the women's race was the story of the trials. Thank you, NBC, for showing the photo finish! And not only was the race close, for Conley to have beaten the "A" standard by 0.21 seconds in a 5K, after so miuch of the race was run slowly. We talk about Ritz missing out by 8 seconds as devastating to him. 1" and a blink of an eye and Lucas is going to London. Can you imagine how she feels this morning?

You're right, Martin. You don't see many world records in the Trials (well, except there were several this time), for logical reasons. I'm hoping he doesn't pull a Pre at the Olympics and end up off the medals stand. But I have a feeling he's smarter (and better coached) than that.

The women's race was extremely exciting and the finish was crazy. Glad they didn't end up with another tie for third!

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:The best part is that both races were somewhat tactical, but then they really became races. And racing is why we watch and love the sport.

So is Rupp planning on running both the 5 and 10K in London? Wonder where he has a better chance to medal?? Thoughts??

I have read, seen he is planning to run both. Typically the 10k is first so considering that's arguably his better event he can use the 5k as a backup plan or as icing on the cake. Other than a potential injury he has every reason to run both. He did it in Daegu last year and in this year's trials so he knows how to well.

Normally I would say his best chance to medal would be the 10k, and it probably still is given he should be fatigued in the 5k having just run the 10k a few days earlier, but I think he's a threat in both now. He seems to be so fit that he can close off any pace the guys can throw at him. His 3:34 1,500m run surprised me. Then he goes and out kicks a fresh Lagat who is a legitimate medal contender.

I just hope this wasn't his peak for the year because he is so fun to watch. I bet he out kicks Mo at least once now with this added confidence of the trials.

Martin VW wrote:

Mark B wrote:Nice kick, huh?

And, oh yeah... it pushed him to beat an Olympic Trials record set in 1972 by Steve Prefontaine.

Certainly added a nice story line, but I'm sure lots of guys could have beaten that time over the years. Pre only knew one way to race, and that was all out. Trials races aren't typically fast.

The final chapter in the Galen Rupp Show hasn't been written. What happens in London will be the enduring memory. IMO the women's race was the story of the trials. Thank you, NBC, for showing the photo finish! And not only was the race close, for Conley to have beaten the "A" standard by 0.21 seconds in a 5K, after so miuch of the race was run slowly. We talk about Ritz missing out by 8 seconds as devastating to him. 1" and a blink of an eye and Lucas is going to London. Can you imagine how she feels this morning?

Remember Galen just turned 26 so we should see even better things from him in the future. Given AlSal's long-term approach to his training I have every reason to believe, barring injury, the best is yet to come from Galen.

A little tough to read below but the first number is how the WCs played out last year. The second number is Rupp's 5k yesterday. I'd say he's ready.

Leaders Splits
2011 WC 2012 US Trials
1k 2:50.90
2:47.36
3k 8:13.70
8:12.51
5k 13:23.36 13:22.82
Last Lap 52.75 52.54

Martin VW wrote:

Mark B wrote:Nice kick, huh?

And, oh yeah... it pushed him to beat an Olympic Trials record set in 1972 by Steve Prefontaine.

Certainly added a nice story line, but I'm sure lots of guys could have beaten that time over the years. Pre only knew one way to race, and that was all out. Trials races aren't typically fast.

The final chapter in the Galen Rupp Show hasn't been written. What happens in London will be the enduring memory. IMO the women's race was the story of the trials. Thank you, NBC, for showing the photo finish! And not only was the race close, for Conley to have beaten the "A" standard by 0.21 seconds in a 5K, after so miuch of the race was run slowly. We talk about Ritz missing out by 8 seconds as devastating to him. 1" and a blink of an eye and Lucas is going to London. Can you imagine how she feels this morning?

Wild!

just watched both W and M races on video. compelling to say the least.

Thanks for your descriptions folks. Can't watch any of that stuff here and may not get much Olympic coverage either. Streaming on hte web is restricted to the States [NBC] and UK [BBC]. Rupp and others don't have much truck on Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Sport du Congo, etc. Such is the price I pay for cool weather.

Yeah Ben I would say he is ready to go! The only questions left is that 1. He hasn't peaked/or over peaked and that he would go into the games stale. 2. That he runs his race and the right strategy and doesn't make the mistake PRE made many years ago. He sure has come a long way from being a could be to BEING!!

Rupp is ready and peaking at the right time. But the rest of the world is doing the same.

He's only beaten Legat once. He doesn't look like he can beat Mo Farah. And he also has to face the Kenyans and Ethiopians. I hope I'm wrong, but I think his chances at a medal are still less than 50%. There's just too much talent out there.

Stan

KBFitz wrote:Thanks for your descriptions folks. Can't watch any of that stuff here and may not get much Olympic coverage either. Streaming on hte web is restricted to the States [NBC] and UK [BBC]. Rupp and others don't have much truck on Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Sport du Congo, etc. Such is the price I pay for cool weather.

Kevin,

Can you follow this link?

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/track-and-field/rupp-edges-lagat-in-thrilling-5000m-at-trials.html?cid=rss&utm_source=web&utm_medium=twitter

That's the video highlights. As for a write up on the 5K, check out below...

Lucky 13 - Galen Rupp Snaps Winless Streak In Style - 52.54 Last Lap Beats Bernard Lagat & Steve Prefontaine's Meet Record

Rupp Is Now Officially A Gold Medal Threat

by LetsRun.com
June 28, 2012

0 for 12. Now make that 1 for 13.



Galen Rupp ended his winless streak against Bernard Lagat in the most dramatic way possible. Rupp, the guy who used to be viewed as lacking a kick and who didn't break 4:00 in the mile until 2009, let it come down to the final 400 and then outkicked the second-fastest 1,500 runner in history. Not only did Rupp get the win in front of the hometown Oregon crowd, he also broke Steve Prefontaine's meet record by running 13:22.67.

Lagat ended up second in 13:22.82 with Lopez Lomong third in 13:24.87.

After modest opening splits of 4:25.3 and 8:47-8 for Rupp, Lagat and Lomong, the race came down to the last 400 when Rupp had the lead and Lagat was in third. Lagat moved up onto Rupp's shoulder as they entered the final 200. At this point, everyone in the stadium who has closely been paying attention over the last few years was thinking, "We know how this ends." Lagat took the lead with roughly 150 to go but Rupp didn't give up. Halfway down the backstretch, the nearly unthinkable happened, Rupp came back on Lagat on the inside and got the win.

Rupp's last 400 was 52.54. Lagat's final 400 was actually slightly faster - 52.46.

After the race, in the post-race press conference (click here for video), Lagat was complimentary of Rupp for getting the win but when asked why he thought he lost, he had to do something he's not used to doing - close the gap between him, Rupp and Lomong and the two early leaders Mo Trafeh and Brandon Bethke (see below for more race details) of the race as he wasn't sure they would not get the 'A' and if they both got the 'A', he'd have to beat everyone behind him as his #1 goal was to make the team.

Rupp interestingly said that he let it come down to the last lap because coach Alberto Salazar told him that he's got to be able to do it in the final 400 in London and if he can't do it here in the Trials, then he won't be able to do it in London.

Quick Take #1: The comparison's between this race and last year's World Championship final are scary. Rupp most definitely is a legitimate medal threat - gold medal threat. If you can beat Bernard Lagat, then you have to be considered a big time medal threat.




Leaders Splits

2011 WC

2012 US Trials



1k

2:50.90


2:47.36




3k

8:13.70


8:12.51



5k

13:23.36

13:22.82



Last Lap

52.75

52.54


QT #2: Rupp got his doors blown out in the last mile in this race last year and ended up running 26:48.00. How fit must he be this year?

QT#3: Lagat must be kicking himself for letting Rupp pass him on the inside in lane 1. It's a rookie mistake that Lagat should not make.

Race details, split and result appear below.

Video highlights of race here.

For post-race interviews, look below or see the LetsRun.com youtube channel. We have the press conference, an interview it Ian Dobson, and 4th placer Andrew Bumbalough.

The Details Of The Race:
The first 200 was slower than the women. Also of note, despite the relatively high pollen count today, Galen Rupp was mask-less.

Mo Trafeh brought the field through in a pedestrian 72.2 at 400, but he was steadily picking up steam and by 600 meters, things began to string out. Robert Cheseret was in second, Brandon Bethke in third, Andrew Bumbalough in fourth, followed by Rupp, Bernard Lagat and Lopez Lomong.

At 1200, Trafeh had a 10 meter lead on Bethke who was all of a sudden 20 meters ahead of Cheseret and the rest of the field. Lagat seemed to take notice and led a charge of the top men to begin to close the gap.

Trafeh and Bethke hit 1600 in 4:22.1 while the Lagat-led chase group trailed in 4:25.3. Immediately behind Lagat was Lomong, Rupp, Bumbalough, Ben True and Brent Vaughn.

Bethke had the lead at halfway (roughly 6:48...they’d need roughly 13:00 pace the rest of the way to get the A standard) and then Lagat had bridged the gap so with six to go, everyone was back in contention. Trafeh and Bethke seemed to be trading the lead to keep things going at near A standard pace but heading into 3K, the pace had slowed to a 66 and Trafeh hit 3K at 8:12.50. As he hit 3K, however, Trafeh made another big move and now had another significant lead, close to 15 meters as he hit in 3200 in 8:45. The top contenders seemed content to let him run a fartlek up front.

With four to go, the chase pack would need roughly a 4:00 final 1600 to hit the A of 15:20.00.

With three to go the frontrunning Trafeh had a 30 meter lead...could he steal it and somehow hit the A? If so, he was going to need to pick it up.

Lagat, Lomong and Rupp seemed willing to wait to take a run at him.

Trafeh hit 4K at 10:55.0, needing a 2:25 last 1K to hit the A. With two to go, the real racing seemed to begin as Rupp surged up on Lagat and all of a sudden, in a blink of an eye, Trafeh was swallowed up. With 700 to go, Lagat and Rupp stormed to the lead. Lomong and Bumbalough and True were in close pursuit.

With a lap to go, Rupp surged to the outright lead with Lomong and Lagat and Bumbalough still in the hunt. Bumbalough was hanging on even as Rupp seemed to have a slight edge on Lagat and Lomong.

As they hit the steeple pit with 150 to go, Lagat had found his way into the lead and it looked like he would take another victory from Rupp. The team seemed set coming off the Bowerman Turn: Lagat, Rupp and Lomong were now clear of Bumbalough.

But Rupp was not going to settle for simply making the team and would not be denied, coming up on Lagat on the inside at 70 meters to go, was on his inside shoulder at 50 meters to go, and then was by him on the inside in the final 20 meters, closing in a remarkable 52.54 for his last lap and 25.9 on our watch for his last 200. (Lagat was 52.46 over the last 400 but Rupp out-raced him.) Rupp’s final time of 13:22.67 broke the Trials record held by Steve Prefontaine...he was .15 ahead of Lagat who was also under the old Prefontaine record. Rupp ran last 1600 was 4:02.36.

Thanks for the write up from LetsRun. Reports there and elsewhere may be the only way I'm able to 'view' the trials and the Olympics themselves. I'll look for online radio coverage and may be more successful. Your link to the video highlights on NBCOlympics shows the following (as do all other videos on NBCOlympics):

Of course, it's the events I'm interested in! But I'll survive, have no doubt. Thanks again for the Let's Run writeup.

At the Paris DL on Friday 6 guys went sub 12:50. And Bekele wasn't one of them. Never before have so many gone sub 12:50 in a race.