galen rupp and oregon twilight meet and hayward field and autzen stadium and rudy chapa and 10,000 meter record

The leprechauns of Boston Garden and the ghosts of Ruth and Gehrig at Yankee Stadium have their Western counterparts in the memories of Steve Prefontaine, Bill McChesney, and Bill Bowerman in the fabled confines of Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. Originally used as the football stadium for the University of Oregon when it was built in 1919, Hayward Field served both track and football until the building of Autzen Stadium (football) in 1967. With a newly (2004) resurfaced track and a welcome plaza in the NE corner of the field, Hayward Field now matches any other track facility in America for athletic quality as well as cherished memories.

Even though the memories include performances of short and long-distance runners, throwers and jumpers, it is the distance runners that always have been a special breed at Hayward Field. As recently as a few years ago, on the Hayward Field oval, Alan Webb of Reston, VA obliterated Jim Ryun's national high school record for the mile run by shaving almost 1.9 seconds off Ryun's amazing 3:55.3. Conditions were ripe tonight for another such assault on a long-standing record--Rudy Chapa's 1979 Junior (under 20) record of 28:32.7 for the 10,000 meter run. Chapa is also an Oregonian, and his son, Joaquin, was a crosstown rival of the young man, Galen Rupp, who was positioned for an assault on Rudy's 25 year-old mark.

Rupp and the Race Preparations

Rupp's rise to the pinnacle of schoolboy (and now, under 20) running has been little short of meteoric. Raised as a soccer player, Rupp decided after an injury to turn to running in his freshman year (2000-2001) at Central Catholic HS in SE Portland. As luck, or the Hayward Field "leprechauns" would have it, Rupp was coached by another legendary Duck long-distance runner, Alberto Salazar, who must have felt that the gift that fell into his hands in Rupp was a once-in-a-lifetime oppportunity for him to develop a budding star. Within a year, Rupp had established himself at the top of Oregon distance runners (no mean feat), and by his junior year, he was among the top runners in the country. Shortly after graduation in 2004 he set the US High School marks for the 3,000 (8:03) and the 5,000 (13:37) meter runs. He elected not to enroll in college in the Fall of 2004 in order to continue to train with Salazar. The issue really is more complicated than that, however, and, from what I have been able to learn, it relates to a philosophical difference between Rupp/Salazar and the Ducks track coach on the training methods used to develop distance runners. When the Ducks coach resigned early in 2005, Rupp donned a Ducks uniform. His 10,000 meter performance at tonight's Oregon Twilight Meet was his debut in the Green and Yellow of the U of O.

Though he will not lose his junior status until he turns 20 in May 2006, the word was out that tonight was the time for him to launch an assault on Chapa's long-standing and impressive mark in the 10,000. And the conditions were perfect for such an assault. The lowering clouds were threatening rain, but only a sprinkle or two was in the air as the starter's gun sounded at 7:40 p.m. A gentle breeze whipped through the stadium, but it was not enough to help the runners when it was at their backs nor much hinder them when they faced it. The temperature stood at a perfect 61 degrees as a few rays of the sinking sun shimmered through the cloud necklace behind the West grandstand.

The Race

Six runners only would compete in the race, with two of them, Max King and Isaac Arusei, serving as rabbits (or pacesetters) for the other four. However, the rabbits didn't work out nearly as well as in the previous race, where two Kenyan pacesetters managed to lead the 5,000 meter field for most of the race before they dropped out to let Dathan Ritzenhein take the race in 13:22.23, breaking a Twilight Meet Record held by (who else?) Rudy Chapa by more than three seconds. In the 10,000 meter run, King only lasted about 10 (out of 25) laps before retiring. Arusie continued to lead until the 18:00 minute mark, at which time Rupp took over and then led the rest of the way. The other three runners, though each had lifetime-best times that would have won the race from Rupp, fell off the pace around the 3 mile mark.

The plan was to go out at 68 second splits, which would bring Rupp to the finish line just under Chapa's mark of 28:32.7. And, the plan worked well. Some laps were slightly below the desired pace and some above, but at the midpoint of the race, Rupp had run a 14:17, which would have placed him a little over a second short of Chapa's mark if he continued at the same pace.

But then, with about 8 or 9 laps to go, Rupp seemed to find new strength within. He surged past Arusie and then, with each half-lap, he heard the rhythmic chants, stomping of feet and yells of encouragement from the 3,500 or so fans who were sitting either in the East or West grandstands. Even the PA announcer got into the act, boldly proclaiming as Rupp passed Arusie that the race was now "Rupp's race." And, with each half-lap the thundering applause became louder. Antiphonal shouts and applause rang out steadily from the grandstands. People were becoming aware that Rupp was not only on pace to tie the record but, with each passing lap, was going to beat, then easily surpass, then bury, then fully obliterate the record. As this dawned on the crowd, it shouted its encouragement more and more.

And Rupp ran with such ease, with an erect carriage and controlled arm movements, with golden hair gently blowing in the breeze, that he reminded me for some reason of the Greek myth of Atalanta, whose locks flowed behind her as she outdistanced all her rivals. He finished the race with a last lap of 64 seconds and averaged around 4:33 per mile. When he crossed the finish line to the deafening cries of approval and adulation of the crowd, he had shaved more than 17 seconds off Chapa's mark, coming in at 28:15.52.

Conclusion

As I was watching Galen Rupp begin his last seven or eight laps, I realized very powerfully that I was witnessing one of the great feats of distance running by a person under 20 in American history. Like my earlier witnessing of Kevin Love's basketball performance in the state title game in March, I knew that I had again seen something by an Oregon kid that I might never again behold (Well, if Tommy Skipper someday threatens the world pole vault record, I would have to add his performance to that of Rupp and Love). I returned to my home inspired, and a little tired, marveling at Rupp's accomplishments and hoping that the example of Rupp's brilliance and hard work would inspire my own labors.