Rupp Capped Sensational Senior Year In 2009

Nothing could stop Galen Rupp from making history at the 2009 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Mother Nature tried, sending thunderstorms that pushed Wednesday’s 5000-meter semifinals back to 12:40 am CT, more than three hours later than scheduled. That meant Rupp, as well as any other athletes attempting the 5K-10K double that year, would have to put 20K of racing in their legs over a two-day span from late Wednesday night to Friday night. 

Rupp wasn’t concerned, having already completed the legendary 3K-5K-DMR triple at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships just a few months earlier in the span of 24 hours. 

Then came Sam Chelanga of Liberty and Shawn Forrest of Arkansas, as they set a brisk early pace in the final of the 10,000 meters. Chelanga actually broke Rupp’s collegiate record in the event with a 27:28.48 clocking in April at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge in California. 

Rupp wasn’t deterred, noting after the meet that, “They had to have figured I would have been tired, so I was fully expecting that going in, so it wasn’t any big surprise. I just tried to bide my time and when it was time to go, I made my move.” 

The Oregon superstar dropped the hammer with 700 meters to go and didn’t look back. He crossed the finish line in 28:21.45 to win his first NCAA 10,000-meter crown. It was bittersweet for Rupp, who ended up a close runner-up in both 2006 and 2007, and earned the Ducks’ first distance title since Rudy Chapa won the 5000 in 1978. 

“Outdoors has always been kind of the elusive one … Indoors has never been a huge deal to Oregon,” Rupp said. “It’s satisfying to get a 10K in. And I’m real happy. It’s a weight off my shoulders.” 

Rupp returned to the track the following night for the 5000 final and nearly lost a shoe in the first few laps. He stopped, put it back on correctly and worked his way back into the mix (See if you can tell when Rupp played catchup from the splits: 36.37, 1:12.89, 1:12.42, 1:03.01, 1:13.73). 

With three laps to go, Rupp and David McNeill of Northern Arizona pulled away. 

With two laps to go, Rupp opened a small gap between himself and McNeill. 

With one lap to go, Rupp powered home in 57.21 to become just the 11th man in meet history to complete the 5K-10K double and cement his status as a collegiate track & field legend. 

Later that year, Rupp was the inaugural men’s winner of The Bowerman.