Putting Galen Rupp into perspective

Jan 29, 2014 by Isaac Wood

After Galen Rupp's unreal record breaking performances in back-to-back weeks, I started thinking, who has been better than him on the track in our current decade? This led me to wonder who have been the most dominant long-distance runners on the track in their specific decade?

What I did is I came up with three individuals that I believe were the eminent long-distance runners on the track of their decade (that ran their best races during that decade). To start, here's what Rupp has accomplished:

Running Personal Bests	Accolades and Titles
800m- 1:49.87 1500m- 3:34.75 1 Mile- 3:50.92 i, 3:52.11 3k- 7:43.24, 7:30.16 i AR 2 Miles- 8:07.41 i AR 5k- 12:58.90, 13:01.26 i AR 10k- 26:48.00 AR 1/2- 60:30	- 10000 m Olympic Silver Medallist 2012 - 10000 m 4th at World Championships 2013 - 3000 m 5th at World Indoor Championships 2010 - 5000 m 7th at Olympic Games 2012 - 10000 m 7th at World Championships 2011 - 5000 m 8th at World Championships 2013 - 6 National Titles

Now look at the difference between Rupp and these stars of yesteryear.

Untitled 1

1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s

Henry Rono
3k- 7:32.1- WR, 7:43.2 i
2 Miles- 8:14.66, 8:15.9 i
5k- 13:06- WR (2x)
10k- 27:22.47- WR
3k Stpl- 8:05.4- WR
Broke 4 WRs in 81 Days (10k, 5k, 3k Stpl, 3k)

Lasse Viren
1500m- 3:41.8
3k- 7:43.2
2 Miles- 8:14.0
5k- 13:16 WR
10k- 27:38.35 WR
4 Olympic Golds 
1972: 5000, 10000 1976: 5000, 10000
5000 m European Bronze Medallist 1974
10000 m 5th at Olympic Games 1980
Marathon 5th at Olympic Games 1976

Miruts Yifter
5k- 13:13.82, 13:34.2 i
10k- 27:40.96 
2 Olympic Golds 
1980: 5000, 10000
10000 m Olympic Bronze Medallist 1972

Steve Prefontaine- Best American
1500m- 3:38.1
1 Mile- 3:54.6
3k- 7:42.6, 7:50.0 i
2 Miles- 8:18.29, 8:20.4 i
5k- 13:21.87
10k- 27:43.6
5000 m 4th at Olympic Games 1972

Suleiman Nyambui
1500m- 3:35.8
1 Mile- 3:51.94
3k- 7:40.3, 7:47.4 i 
2 Miles- 8:27.47, 8:17.9 i
5k- 13:12.29, 13:20.4 i WR
10k- 27:51.73
Marathon- 2:09:52
5000 m Olympic Silver Medallist 1980

Said Aouita
800m- 1:43.86
1500m- 3:29.46, 3:37.3 i
1 Mile- 3:46.76
3k- 7:29.45, 7:36.66 i
2 Miles- 8:13.45
5k- 12:58.39, 13:22.56 i
10k- 27:26
5000 m Olympic Champion 1984
5000 m World Champion 1987
3000 m World Indoor Champion 1989
800 m Olympic Bronze Medallist 1988
1500 m World Championships Bronze Medallist 1983
1500 m World Championships finalist 1991

Dave Moorcroft
800m- 1:46.64
1500m- 3:33.79
1 Mile- 3:49.34
3k- 7:32.79
2 Miles- 8:16.75
5k- 13:00.41 WR

Doug Padilla- Best American
1500m- 3:37.95, 3:41.4 i
1 Mile- 3:54.2
3k- 7:35.84, 7:43.69 i
2 Miles- 8:23.6, 8:15.02 i
5k- 13:15.44, 13:20.55 i
3000 m 4th at World Indoor Championships 1989
5000 m 5th at World Championships 1983
3000 m 5th at World Indoor Championships 1987
5000 m 7th at Olympic Games 1984
1 National Title

Daniel Komen
1500m- 3:29.46
1 Mile- 3:46.38
3k- 7:20.67, 7:24.90 i WRs
2 Miles- 7:58.61, 8:16.89 (2001) i
5k- 12:39.74, 12:51.48 i
10k- 27:38.32 (2002)
5000 m World Champion 1997
Cross Country 4.0 km World Championships Silver Medallist 1998
5000 m 5th at World Championships 1999
5000 m African Champion 1998
1 National Title

Nourredine Morceli
800m- 1:44.79
1500m- 3:27.37, 3:34.16 i
1 Mile- 3:44.39, 3:50.70 i
3k- 7:25.11
5k- 13:03.85
1500 m Olympic Champion 1996
3 World Titles 
1991: 1500 1993: 1500 1995: 1500
1500 m World Indoor Champion 1991
1500 m 4th at World Championships 1997
1500 m 7th at Olympic Games 1992

Haile Gebrselassie
1500m- 3:33.73, 3:31.76 i
1 Mile- 3:52.39, 3:55.00 i
3k- 7:25.09 WR, 7:26.15 WR i
2 Miles- 8:01.08, 8:04.69 i
5k- 12:39.36 WR, 12:50.38 WR
10k- 26:22.75 WR 
2 Olympic Golds 
1996: 10000 2000: 10000
5 World Titles 
1993: 10000 1995: 10000 1997: 10000 1999: 10000 2001: HM
4 World Indoor Titles 
1997: 3000 1999: 1500, 3000 2003: 3000
2 World Championships Silvers 
1993: 5000 2003: 10000
2 World Championships Bronzes 
1994: CC Long 2001: 10000
Cross Country Long 4th at World Championships 1995
10000 m 5th at Olympic Games 2004
Cross Country Long 5th at World Championships 1996
10000 m 6th at Olympic Games 2008
Cross Country Long 7th at World Championships 1993

Paul Tergat (4-way tie)
3k- 7:28.70
5k- 12:49.87
10k- 26:27.85
6 World Titles 
1995: CC Long 1996: CC Long 1997: CC Long 1998: CC Long1999: HM, CC Long
2 Olympic Silvers 
1996: 10000 2000: 10000
2 World Championships Silvers 
1997: 10000 1999: 10000
2 World Championships Bronzes 
1995: 10000 2000: CC Long
Cross Country Long 4th at World Championships 1994
Marathon Olympic finalist 2004
Cross Country Long World Championships finalist 1993

Bob Kennedy- Best American
1500m- 3:38.32
1 Mile- 3:56.21
3k- 7:30.84, 7:42.29 i
2 Miles- 8:11.59
5k- 12:58.21
10k- 27:37.45
3000 m 4th at World Indoor Championships 1993
5000 m 6th at Olympic Games 1996
5000 m 6th at World Championships 1997
5000 m 7th at World Championships 1995
5000 m Olympic finalist 1992
3 National Titles

Kenenisa Bekele
1500m- 3:32.35
3k- 7:25.79, 7:30.51 i
2 Miles- 8:13.51, 8:04.35 WR i
5k- 12:37.35 WR, 12:49.60 WR i
10k- 26:17
3 Olympic Golds 
2004: 10000 2008: 5000, 10000
16 World Titles 
2002: CC Short, CC Long 2003: 10000, CC Short, CC Long
2004: CC Short, CC Long 2005: 10000, CC Short, CC Long
2006: CC Short, CC Long 2007: 10000 2008: CC Long 2009: 5000, 10000
3000 m World Indoor Champion 2006
5000 m Olympic Silver Medallist 2004
Cross Country 4.1 km World Championships Silver Medallist 2001
5000 m World Championships Bronze Medallist 2003
1 National Title

Hicham El Gerrouj
1500m- 3:26.00 WR, 3:31.18 WR i
1 Mile- 3:43.12 WR, 3:48.45 WR i
3k- 7:23.09, 7:33.73 i
2 Miles- 8:06.61 i
5k- 12:50.24
2 Olympic Golds 
2004: 1500, 5000
4 World Titles 
1997: 1500 1999: 1500 2001: 1500 2003: 1500
3 World Indoor Titles 
1995: 1500 1997: 1500 2001: 3000
1500 m Olympic Silver Medallist 2000
2 World Championships Silvers 
1995: 1500 2003: 5000
1500 m Olympic finalist 1996

Zersenay Tadese
3k- 7:39.93
2 Miles- 8:19.34
5k- 12:59.27
10k- 26:37.25
6 World Titles 
2006: 20K 2007: HM, CC Long 2008: HM 2009: HM 2012: HM
3 World Championships Silvers 
2005: CC Long 2009: 10000 2010: HM
10000 m Olympic Bronze Medallist 2004
2 World Championships Bronzes 
2008: CC Long 2009: CC Long
10000 m 4th at World Championships 2011
10000 m 4th at World Championships 2007
Cross Country Long 4th at World Championships 2006
10000 m 5th at Olympic Games 2008
10000 m 6th at Olympic Games 2012

Matt Tegenkamp- Best American
3k- 7:34.98, 7:40.25 i
2 Miles- 8:07.07
5k- 12:58.56, 13:35.46 i
10k- 27:28.22
5000 m 4th at World Championships 2007
5000 m 8th at World Championships 2009
10000 m World Championships finalist 2011
6 National Titles

Mo Farah
1500m- 3:28.81, 3:39.03 i
1 Mile- 3:56.49, 3:57.92 i
3k- 7:36.85, 7:34.47 i
2 Miles- 8:20.47, 8:08.07 i
5k- 12:53.11, 13:10.60 i
10k- 26:46
2 Olympic Golds 
2012: 5000, 10000
3 World Titles 
2011: 5000 2013: 5000, 10000
10000 m World Championships Silver Medallist 2011
4 European Golds 
2006: CC Short 2010: 5000, 10000 2012: 5000
2 European Indoor Golds 
2009: 3000 2011: 3000
3 European Silvers 
2006: 5000 2008: CC Long 2009: CC Short
3000 m 4th at World Indoor Championships 2012
5000 m 6th at World Championships 2007
3000 m 6th at World Indoor Championships 2008
5000 m 7th at World Championships 2009
Cross Country Long World Championships finalist 2007
6 National Titles

Dejen Gebremeskel
3k- 7:45.9, 7:34.14 i
5k- 12:46.81, 13:11.78 i
10k- 26:51.02
5000 m Olympic Silver Medallist 2012
5000 m World Championships Bronze Medallist 2011
3000 m 5th at World Indoor Championships 2012
5000 m World Junior Championships Bronze Medallist 2008

Yenew Alamirew
1500m- 3:35.09
1 Mile- 3:50.43
3k- 7:27.26, 7:27.80 i
5k- 12:48.77
5000 m Olympic finalist 2012
5000 m World Championships finalist 2013
5000 m All Africa Games Silver Medallist 2011

Galen Rupp- Best American
800m- 1:49.87
1500m- 3:34.75
1 Mile- 3:50.92 i, 3:52.11
3k- 7:43.24, 7:30.16 i AR
2 Miles- 8:07.41 i AR
5k- 12:58.90, 13:01.26 i AR
10k- 26:48.00 AR
1/2- 60:30 
10000 m Olympic Silver Medallist 2012
10000 m 4th at World Championships 2013
3000 m 5th at World Indoor Championships 2010
5000 m 7th at Olympic Games 2012
10000 m 7th at World Championships 2011
5000 m 8th at World Championships 2013
6 National Titles

UIL Region 3-5A and Region 3-6A

UIL Region 4-5A and Region 4-6A

UIL Region 2-6A Region 3-3A

UIL Region 1-4A and Region 1-5A

Continental Tour: Nairobi

TCS London Marathon

Penn Relays presented by Toyota

LHSAA Class 3A Region 2

Payton Jordan Invitational

GVSU Extra Weekend

Fresno State Invitational

AAA Outdoor Champs | 1A

AAA Outdoor Champs | 3A

AAA Outdoor Champs | 4A

Continental Tour: Huelva

Putting Galen Rupp into perspective

Putting Galen Rupp into perspective

Related Content

Up Next

Replay: AI Owens Classic | Apr 19 @ 11 AM

Rai Benjamin, Athing Mu And Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Headline Mt. SAC

We Mic'd Up Alabama Distance At The 2024 Bryan Clay Invitational