Galen Rupp will contend for a spot on the U.S. Olympic marathon team on February 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. Here are some fast facts about him. (To see all of our brief profiles of trials contenders, go here.)
Marathon PR: Has not run a marathon
Best trials qualifier: 1:01:20 half marathon (Foot Traffic Holiday Half Marathon, Portland, Oregon, 2015)
Most recent marathon: N/A
Residence: Portland, Oregon
Age on race day: 29
Previous Olympic trials results:
2008: second, 10,000 meters; qualified for but didn’t run 5,000-meter final
2012: first 10,000 meters; first 5,000 meters
Trials outlook: Rupp declared his intention to run his debut marathon at the trials two weeks ago. The announcement was an immediate game-changer.
On the track, Rupp is one of the most accomplished U.S. distance runners in recent history. His career highlights include the Olympic silver medal in the 10,000 meters in 2012 and the American record (26:44.36) in the distance. He is also one of only six Americans to have run under 13:00 for 5,000 meters (although, believe it or not, his PR of 12:58.90 is slower than that of trials top contender Dathan Ritzenhein, who has run 12:56.27).
Rupp’s road racing outings have been sparse but spectacular. He ran 1:00:30 in his debut half marathon, in New York City in 2010. Rupp’s trials qualifier came in the unlikely setting of a low-key, holiday-themed half marathon in Portland in December. Running solo from the start, Rupp finished in 1:01:20; on video, the effort looked more like a long tempo run than a race.
Those times, his competitive record, and the careful planning of his coach, Alberto Salazar, give runners and fans alike reason to consider Rupp an odds-on favorite to finish in the top three on Saturday. His chances of a successful debut are probably helped by it occurring in a championship race. Rather than trying to run a marathon time on par with his shorter-distance PRs, Rupp will be able to tuck in behind experienced marathoners early on at a pace that should feel easy for the first several miles.
The forecast heat could also work in his favorite in this regard, because it should make a fast early pace from the start that much more unlikely. The longer the pack waits to start really pushing, the more Rupp’s chances improve.
And yet, history is full of runners of Rupp’s level who struggled with the marathon. Some eventually figured it out, some never did. If Rupp finds himself struggling with 10K to go on a hot day, and finishing in the top three looks unlikely, might he withdraw from the race and focus completely on making the Olympic team on the track, where he is much more of a lock.
Of course, history is also full of runners who absolutely nailed their debut marathon. How things will go for Rupp is one of the main attractions on Saturday.
Fun fact: Rupp and his wife, Keara, are parents to twins (one girl, one boy) born in July 2014.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Running Is My Therapy, Advanced Marathoning, and Meb for Mortals. Scott has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
