by Larry Eder
2025 RunBlogRun Summer Mileage Program, July 23, 2025, Week 3, day 3, an easy day. Galen Rupp wants a 5th Olympic team.
Wednesday, warm-up, 45-60 minutes of easy running in the hills, cool-down.
Today, we are speaking about Galen Rupp.
Galan Rupp has been on Olympic teams four times!
I recall watching Galen in Bejing in 2008, taken 13th in the 10,000m. The weather was ungodly hot and humid. Galen Rupp had his first experience in the Bird’s Nest stadium.
In London 2012, Galen and his training partner, Mo Farah, won gold and silver (Mo gold, Galen silver) in a hotly contested 10,000m. In the 5,000m, Galen was 7th.
Rio 2016 was cold and raining in the Stadium Engenhao, where Galen Rupp battled everyone to the very end, taking 5th in the 10,000m, where his former training partner, Mo Farah, took gold once again. In the marathon, Galen Rupp took his second Olympic medal in the rain and humidity of Rio, taking the bronze in the marathon. Galen told this writer, years later, that it was so tough in Rio, he just “took it one mile at a time.” Eliud Kipchoge won the Olympic marathon.
In his fourth Olympics, in Tokyo in 2021 (the Olympics were transferred from 2020 due to the pandemic). In the Tokyo Marathon, the heat and humidity was brutal. Galen Rupp took 8th in the marathon, fading near the end, as Eliud Kipchoge won his second Olympic marathon gold.
Galen Rupp made a bold bid for the 2024 Olympic team, but did not achieve his goal in the 2024 Olympic Trials, where he placed 16th in 2;14.07, and it was back to the drawing board. Galen had surgery late in the spring and when we spoke in Chicago in October 2014, Galen noted that he was hoping to race in 2025 over the marathon distance, and perhaps some shorter races.
Galen Rupp began his running in Central Catholic high school as a fine cross country runner. This writer watched Galen Rupp win the NIKE Border Clash as a junior in high school. In college, Galen took second in the NCAA XC as a junior, leading his team to take win at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Cross-country builds endurance. Cross-country builds confidence in runners from the 400m to the 5,000m. I have seen pole vaulters run cross country, and make the top five on the team (then, move to the decathlon). Cross-country changes runners. Galen Rupp came through cross-country and he attributes the early running in cross-country and high school track as key parts of his later success.
Just so you know, Galen Rupp is looking for one last run at an Olympic team in 2028. With his 4 children being teenagers by that time, Galen told this writer that it would be cool for them to see and appreciate his focus on his fifth Olympic team.
This writer has known Galen since he was 15, so that is 21 years, I believe. Galen has never been a big fan of social media, never really tooted his own horn. Always great interviews. I recall a really exceptional one in 2021, during the pandemic, as Galen sat in his home with his kids running around. It was fun. At first, he was not sure he liked marathon training, now he gets itl His coach, Mike Smith, continues to help him work on his dreams.
Watch Galen Rupp this fall and get ready for Fall cross-country by running over the Summer!
Editor’s note: On July 27, 2025, Galen Rupp ran 28:00 for six miles on the rolling Wharf to Wharf course, in Santa Cruz, CA to Capitola, CA. It was his first race in over a year!
One of the shoes that we are recommending this summer is the Vomero 18 and the Vomero 18 plus. Wonderful stability in a well-cushioned shoe, a great shoe for summer mileage. Learn more at NIKErunning.com.
Galen Photo by #HowLaoPhotography
#Summermileage, #crosscountry, #GalenRupp, #Pacesportsmanagement, #NIKErunning, #Vomero18, #VomeroPLUS
For More on Galen Rupp: Galen Rupp at the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, how do you build a long term career?
