SOLINSKY STUNS WITH USA 10,000M RECORD AT STANFORD
SOLINSKY STUNS WITH USA 10,000M RECORD AT STANFORD
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission
PALO
ALTO (01-May) -- Galen Rupp came here tonight to the Payton Jordan
Cardinal Invitational to beat Meb Keflezighi's American 10,000m record
of 27:13.98. Keflezighi's mark had stood for nine years and Rupp, with
the help of two Kenyan pacemakers and strong rivals who pushed him,
accomplished his goal, clocking 27:10.74.
But in an unforeseen
twist, Rupp would not become the new American record holder. Finishing
fourth, he was beaten by two Kenyans, Daniel Salel and Sam Chelanga,
and American man who had never before run the 10,000m distance, Chris
Solinsky. The 25 hear-old Solinsky, who was dejected after he failed
to make the American Olympic team at 5000m in 2008 when he finished
fifth in the USA Olympic Trials, made a stunning 10,000m debut here.
Clocking 26:59.60, he became the first American ever to break 27
minutes and the fastest-ever 10,000m runner who was not born in Africa.
"I
kind of jokingly said to Jerry (Schumacher, his coach), that I could go
anywhere from 26:55 to 28 minutes," Solinsky told reporters after the
race. "It was my first one; I've never done a 10-K before."
But
Solinsky found himself in a lead pack of Six runners who passed
half-way in 13:34.2, and who were reliably clicking off 64-second
laps. Led by pacemakers Mathew Kisorio and Simon Ndirangu, who took
pacing instructions from Rupp's coach, Alberto Salazar, a pack of five
contenders had formed: Rupp, Solinsky, Salel, Chelanga, and Canada's
Simon Bairu. When the last pacemaker retired, Rupp took over the lead
and was just slightly behind the pace to break Keflezighi's record.
"Just a couple of seconds slow!" shouted Salazar to Rupp.
With
fewer than 1000 meters to go in the race, Solinsky decided to seize the
lead. Wearing white knee sox and running with form which looked just
as clean as in the early laps, Solinsky ran the penultimate circuit of
the 25-lap race in 60.1 seconds, and opened up a lead.
"I looked
at Schumacher with between 1000 and 900 to go, and he gave me the
signal to go," Solinsky continued. "When he gave me the signal to go I
felt good enough and I said I'm going to see what I can do. As soon as
I went I said, OK, let's see if I can get 27 minutes."
With the
small crowd cheering, Solinsky turned the final lap in 56.1 seconds,
good enough to get under 27 minutes. Salel, just 19 and also making
his debut at the distance, finished second in 27:07.85. Chelanga
clocked 27:08.39 to break his own NCAA record, finishing third. Behind
the fourth place Rupp, Simon Bairu set a Canadian record of 27:23.63 in
fifth place. Eleven men broke 28 minutes, and the first eight
finishers all set personal bests. There were smiles on many faces, but
Solinsky seemed completely shocked.
"I can't even put it into
words," Solinsky said haltingly. "You know, I don't know. It still
hasn't sunk in what I just ran because, honestly, we come in here
hearing all about Galen was going to make a record. We just wanted to
come in and have a fast race."
Despite his accomplishment, Solinsky insisted that he was not moving up to the 10-K.
"My teammates said that if I ran 27:20 I'm a 10-K guy. If I don't, I'm still a 5-K guy and I'm just dabbling."
Bairu,
who trains with Solinsky, was nearly as happy with his new Canadian
record. The old mark of 27:36.01 was set by Jeff Schiebler in the same
2001 race where Keflezighi set his American record.
"I knew I
was going to probably blow up with 10 laps to go," said Bairu. "But
the plan was just hold on as long as you can, and then whatever's left:
how badly do you want that record?"
Bairu jokingly disagreed with Solinsky about whether his teammate was actually a 10-K runner now.
"He's been saying that for the last two weeks," quipped Bairu. "He's definitely a 10-K man in denial."
Elsewhere
in the meet, Shalane Flanagan was upset in the 5000m by Shannon Rowbury
who passed the Olympic bronze medallist in the final 150m of the race
after her attempt at breaking her own American record fizzled.
Rowbury, who just came off of a long stint of endurance training at
high altitude in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, clocked a personal best
15:00.51 to Flanagan's 15:04.23. Amy Begley finished third in a career
best 15:05.59.
"It's really my first 5-I that turned out," said
Rowbury, last summer's World Championships bronze medallist at 1500m.
"I just made sure to keep pushing the last stretch."
Jenny
Barringer won the 1500m with a powerful stretch run to catch Morgan
Uceny. Uceny seemed to have the race well in hand coming out of the
final turn, but Barringer was able to find another gear.
"That's
the kind of gift you get in your first race (of the season)," Barringer
explained. "It's better to be the hunter than the hunted."
ENDS