Both races were “historic,” at least in the loose sense that the word is used by contemporary sports media: Rupp was the first American man to win in Chicago in 15 years, and it had been 40 years since an American woman broke the tape in NYC. Rupp could hang up his shoes today and still have a strong case to be considered the best American runner in history.ĭuring last fall’s marathon season, the respective responses to Rupp’s victory in the Chicago Marathon and Shalane Flanagan’s triumph in the New York City Marathon couldn’t have been more different. The results speak for themselves: two Olympic medals (so far), an American record in the 10,000 meters, a Marathon Major victory, a bevy of national titles. However, what Rupp lacks in public charisma, he more than makes up for in athletic achievement. On the unusual occasion where Rupp does submit to a casual Q&A, the results could provide hope for even the most severe case of insomnia. As the most accomplished American distance runner of his generation, he would have ample reason to indulge in a little chest-thumping, but that just isn’t who Galen Rupp is.īut who is he? For one thing, he is someone who rarely gives interviews outside of official press conferences. Galen Rupp, on the other hand, seems like a nice guy. Nobody, to my knowledge, has ever referred to him as “a really nice guy.” Likewise, the perennially successful New England Patriots are only “America’s team” in the sense that they are the team most of America hates. Exhibit A would have to be Floyd Mayweather, the planet’s finest (and richest) boxer, whose extracurricular activities include winsome tricks like burning money. When it comes to success in professional sports, the Machiavellian maxim that it’s better to be feared than loved appears to hold true.
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