May 27, 2014

For Immediate Release

 

Rupp is Ready to Rip a 10k at Pre Classic

 

Eugene, Oregon – Galen Rupp has already set two American records this year, and with good conditions, his own American 10k best of 26:48.00 could be in jeopardy Friday night at the Prefontaine Classic.

The landmark 40th Pre Classic will be held May 30-31 at historic Hayward Field.  The men’s 10k is the final event of a Friday night session known as Distance Night in Eugene, which is free to all, thanks to long-time sponsor NIKE.

Rupp, a 27-year-old Portland native, has asked for a fast pace on a track where he has won on the high school, collegiate, and professional level.  He set the current AR in 2011, and has since earned silver at the 2012 Olympics.  In January, he ran away from the field at shorter distances to set indoor ARs at 2 miles (8:07.41) and 5k (13:01.26).

Rupp will be racing with a world-class field, including 23-year-old Kenyan Paul Tanui, the bronze medalist from last year’s Moscow World Championships.  He won silver at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships and set his best of 26:50.63 in the 2011 Pre Classic.

Bedan Karoki is another 23-year-old Kenyan with great Pre Classic memories.  He finished 3rd in the 2012 10k, which served as the Kenyan Olympic Trials. He finished 5th in London, the best of the Kenyan trio, and sixth in the Moscow World Championships.

Kenneth Kipkemoi and Emmanuel Bett are two more world-class Kenyans.  Kipkemoi, 29, is a sub-27 runner who made the Moscow World Championships final after winning the 2012 African Championships.  Bett, 29, set his sub-27 best in 2012 when he won the Van Damme Memorial.

A slew of young world talent is led by reigning World Junior champ Yigrem Demelash of Ethiopia, who is 20 years old. As is Eritrea’s Goitom Kifle, winner of the 2009 World Youth bronze who finished 7th in the last year’s World Cross Country Championships.  Add in 19-year-old Ethiopian Birhan Nebebew, who was 5th in last year’s Pre Classic.

 

Men’s 10,000 Meters

Personal Best

Galen Rupp (USA) - 26:48.00

Paul Tanui (Kenya) - 26:50.63

Emmanuel Bett (Kenya) - 26:51.16

Kenneth Kipkemoi (Kenya) - 26:52.65

Leonard Komon (Kenya) - 26:55.29

Yigrem Demelash (Ethiopia) - 26:57.56

Bedan Karoki (Kenya) - 27:05.50

Samuel Chelanga (Kenya) - 27:08.39

Birhan Nebebew (Ethiopia) - 27:14.34

Teklemariam Medhin (Eritrea) - 27:16.69

Leonard Korir (Kenya) - 27:29.40

Timothy Toroitich (Uganda) - 27:31.07

Bob Tahri (France) - 27:31.46

Goitom Kifle (Eritrea) - 27:32.00

Aaron Braun (USA) - 27:41.54

Girma Mecheso (Ethiopia) - 27:52.38

El Hassan Elabbassi (Morocco) - 28:12.40

Wilson Kiprono Too (Kenya) - none (27:39 road)

 

A USATF High Performance women’s 800 meters welcomes back American prep sensation Mary Cain, who set a national high school record in last year’s race at 1:59.51.  A number of other sub-2 Americans include World Indoor champion Chanelle Price (1:59.75), Maggie Vessey (1:57.84), and Phoebe Wright (1:58.22).

 

An International men’s 800 is looking to match its older brother, the International Mile.  The field includes two sub-1:44 runners in Kenya’s Job Kinyor (1:43.76) and Great Britain’s Michael Rimmer (1:43.89). America will be well represented by Tyler Mulder (1:44.34), Erik Sowinski (1:44.58), Charles Jock (1:44.67), Elijah Greer (1:45.04), and Michael Rutt (1:45.08).