Distance Runners Show Their Work At Portland Track Festival As Olympic Trials Loom; Rupp Says He'd Like To Run At Trials In Eugene

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor/Photos by Kim Spir

In just a handful of races Friday night to re-start the Portland Track Festival after a year's absence, some of the best distance runners in the world showed off their incredible feats of endurance at Lewis & Clark College. 

In a space void of spectators, meet officials and volunteers buzzed over the perfomance of Nike's Suguru Osako, who won the fastest section of the 10,000 meters, then came back and ran the second 10,000 meters on 10 minutes rest. 

Osako, a 2016 Olympian and 2:05 marathoner from Japan who has trained for years in the United States and is coached by Pete Julian, ran 27:56.44 to grind out a win over Jacob Thomson of Tracksmith, Yuuya Yoshida of Nike and Galen Rupp of Nike, who made  his first appearance on an outdoor track in nearly four years. 

After a brief rest, Osako went to the back of the starting line of the B heat and slowly worked his way from the back the front of the second race. 

Osako chased down leader Acer Iverson by 8,000 meters, ran with him and then conceded the victory after they both closed in 64 seconds. 

Impressive, yes. Unprecedented for a runner of Osako's caliber, no. 

Julian said that the plan going into the day was to run the first 10K and then do a 10-mile tempo. But since, it was getting dark, and rather than ride somewhere in a car, Julian decided why not just jump into the second race and finish the day's work. 

"The best guys in the world, and Suguru's one of them, are running 58, 59 or 60 minutes in their 20Ks," Julian said. "It is impressive when you see it, but these guys are capable of that."

Rupp, 35, who is already booked for his fourth Olympic Games and will run the marathon in Tokyo, raced outdoors on the track for the first time since the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif. 

He led the race in its late stages but didn't have a kick and finished fourth in 28:00.37 - less than a second from the Olympic standard. 

Rupp said he is considering the possibility of running the 10,000 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, mostly the enjoy the moment and have a race at the new Hayward Field. 

But every decision he makes is pointed toward being prepared for the Olympic marathon, a race he earned a bronze medal in 2016. 

"I'd certainly love to run it (at the Trials), for sure." Rupp said. "Give it one go there, absolutely."

Caroline Kipkirui and Risper Gesabwa ran out ahead of the women's field and dueled over the final laps of the women's 10,000. Kipkirui won it in 31:44.06, ratcheting the pace down to 67 seconds on her final lap. Gesabwa, and Kenyan who runs for Mexico, was second in 31:48.07, a personal best. 

American Molly Seidel, also on the Olympic marathon team, treated the 10K as a workout and still ran a lifetime best 32:02.19. 

Before the race, she ran a five-mile tempo on the Eastbank Esplanade/Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. 

"The driving (to the meet) was the most stressful part," Seidel joked. 

For her, the race was about putting in a hard effort and maximizing her day, and helping a few friends earned Trials qualifying times. 

Makenna Myler, who ran with Seidel throughout the race, finished fourth in 32:03.62.

Courtney Frerichs of the Bowerman Track Club showed she is ready for the Trials by winning thre 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:21.13 as nine women ran under the qualifying standard of 9:50. Valerie Constien, who was second in 9:25.53, ran a a lifetime best. Lizzy Bird of Great Britain was third in a lifetime best of 9:26.73. And Mel Lawrence of Oiselle, fourth in 9:27.34, also ran a personal best. 

Mason Ferlic of Tracksmith ran his final two laps in 2:04 and he caught Bernard Keter of the US Army/Nike on the final lap to win the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:18.79 -- just three-tenths of a second off his personal best. 

Keter was second in 8:20.40 and Sean McGorty of the Bowerman Track Club was third in 8:22.75.