Rupp gives Oregon track fans a 3-course meal

So many flashbulbs went off you would of thought it was already the Fourth of July.

by Marc Davis

Two weeks ago, if Galen Rupp gave the Oregon track fans a little appetizer, then tonight he stuffed Track Town USA with a three course meal. Running like the hero he is slowly becoming in Eugene, Rupp destroyed Rudy Chapa's 26 year old American Junior record for 10,000 meters; clocking 28:15.51. In doing so, he also became the 3rd fastest 10k runner in Duck history, and fastest freshman ever at the U of O.

As I mentioned earlier, Rupp was said to have come into this race off of his highest mileage week ever (108 miles). We may of been told that he could be fatigued, but he showed no signs at all during his 25 lap history making victory. After following rabbits Max King and Issac Arusei for the first 5000 meters or so, he slowly moved up to 2nd place. However, for most of that time he seemed to be chomping at the bit to push the pace. But you could imagine his coaches on the side of the track saying, "Easy now, wait for the right moment". So after 4 miles into the race, the right moment came and Rupp stormed to the front. At that moment, you just knew that something special was going to happen tonight. And of course the track smart fans knew this to be true. Because the energy in the stadium rose to a fever pitch.

Even though at one point Rupp was not only behind the goal time of 28:20, but also behind Rudy Chapa's record of 28:32, Galen seemed to change gears going into the final laps; much to the delight of the crowd. I could barely hold my watch steady to read off the splits as Rupp sprinted down the final stretch with a 64 second last lap. So many flashbulbs went off you would of thought it was already the Fourth of July. I had the pleasure of talking with Galen right after the race, and here's what he had to say:

Marc Davis: "How does it feel to break Rudy Chapa's record, and to do it here in Eugene"?

Galen Rupp: "It means a lot. I know Rudy pretty well from being up in Portland where he lives. He said he wanted me to go after it, and that I had a good chance of breaking it. He's a really supportive kind of guy, and I have a good friendship with him. This was of course a lot better than my first race here".

MD: "How did you think your chances were going into the race to break the record?"

GR: "My training has been going phenomenally well. I honestly thought coming into this that I had a chance to get the record. My intentions were to go out and really see if I could go with the leaders. I was really confident the whole time coming into this race. My birthday is tomorrow, so that was a better omen than having my tires slashed on my car."

MD: "What was it like the final 100 meters with the crowd on their feet"?

GR: "It was awesome. To win a race here wearing an Oregon uniform; there's nothing like it. It feels so good to run here in front of these fans. I really can't describe it. In high school, you think about running here at Hayward Field in a Duck uniform, and everyone going nuts for you. You just can't ask for a better environment to run a race in".

MD: "It seemed that the pace fell off a bit there. Were you ever concerned?"

GR: "The pace was great at first. We were running 67's, and then in the middle we had a lot of 69's. I think we even ran a 70 lap here and there. I wanted to pick it up, but I was told to stay where I was, and not worry about the pace too much. About then with 6 laps to go I finally realized that I was on pace to break the record".

MD: "So around 6000 meters you picked it up. Was it a conscious thought, or were you just starting to feel good?"

GR: "I felt really great for the first half of the race. And when the last rabbit stepped off, I just wanted to make sure that I didn't go too hard. I just wanted to stay at 68's. But every time you hit the main straightaway, the crowd starts cheering like crazy, and you can't help but pick it up. I actually wanted the rabbit to pick it up a bit, but in the end I guess it worked out just fine".

Just fine indeed. It's truly been a while since a distance runner has taken the fans at Hayward Field to the level of excitement that Galen Rupp has done in one single night. And where he takes them from here remains to be seen. But as a writer and as a fan I can tell you one thing for sure. For the next 4 years, track season will not come too soon to Eugene, Oregon. And I hope no one is too full from the meal Rupp served up tonight, because I truly feel that the "chef" is just wetting our appetite.