Galen Rupp ran 13:18.12 in the 5,000 meters Friday night at the Tyson Invitational to break four decades-old records held by some of the great names in the sport of running.
The senior from Portland, Ore., broke Doug Padilla’s American indoor 5,000 meter record of 13:20.55 set 27 years ago at the 1982 Millrose Games in New York City.
He also bettered the collegiate indoor 5,000 meter record, just eclipsing the 1981 time of 13:20.4 by Suleiman Nyambui’ of Texas-El Paso. Nyambui’s mark came in a race better known as the “Fabulous 5,000,” where the great Tanzanian runner outlasted Oregon’s Alberto Salazar, who until Friday night held both the American collegiate and Oregon indoor 5,000 meter records, with a time of 13:22.6 from his Millrose Games’ race with Nyambui’.
Friday evening at the Randall Tyson Track Center, it was a magnific three-way contest between Rupp, Ethopia’s Bekana Daba, and Sam Chelanga of Liberty. All three runners shattered the stadium record, 13:28.93 by Arkansas’ Alistair Cragg in 2003.
Daba went on to win in 13:17.89, with Rupp less than a second back and Chelanga, from Nairobi, Kenya, a stride back in third at 13:19.79. The three stayed in the lead pack the entire race, and Rupp and Daba took turns leading in the final laps before Daba took the lead late for the win, pulling Rupp along with him into second and into the record books.
The Tyson Invitational will be televised on a delayed basis Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
Tyson Invitational
Randall Tyson Track Center
5,000 Meters
1. Bekana Daba, adidas, 13:17.89
2. Galen Rupp, Oregon, +13:18.12
3. Sam Chelanga, Liberty, 13:19.79
4. Markos Geneti, adidas, 13:31.71
5. Shawn Forrest, Arkansas, 13:37.77
6. Elkanah Kibet, Auburn, 13:53.05
7. Stephen Sambu, Rend Lake CC, 13:58.03
8. James Strang, Arkansas, 14:11.29
9. Jonathan Pierce, USA, 14:23.30
10. Girma Mecheso, Auburn, 14:25.89
-- Seth Summerside, adidas, DNF
+ American Record, Collegiate Record, American Collegiate Record, Oregon Record
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