Many have taken Galen Rupp’s entry into the 2012 Olympic marathon trials as a bit of a shock.  I admit at first I was a bit stunned, giddy even at the prospect.  The three man race has turned to four and assuming Galen takes the line, anything can happen.  While all the excitement may seem to be coming out of left field, really this strikes me as on par with the way Salazar and his protégé like to operate. 

In many ways I feel that that 2012 will be Galen’s best possibility to grab one of those coveted medals, but his chances certainly must await him on the track.  After yet another breakout year in which he set a new American record in the 10k and contended strongly at the World championships in both the 5k and 10k (a move which in my opinion favored more experience over a significantly higher place in the 5k), he is as ready as he’ll ever be to take his shot at the podium.  But that being said, I have a very hard time imagining Rupp not being present on the roads fulltime come 2016.  So why waste the opportunity to get some more experience?

The BroJos over at letsrun raised an interesting point that if things were to go awry for Galen, it might cost him some serious bank when it comes to his appearance fees, especially when it comes to the potential price tag for his debut.  Somehow though, I don’t think Galen Rupp is the kind of runner who lingers on those sorts of negative possibilities.  Further, an appearance fee is a nice little commodity, but an Olympic medal is perhaps the pinnacle of achievement in our sport (a world record being the other option) and is, well, priceless.  The kid’s gotta be pretty financially stable by now with Nike at his back, so experience can take a priority over chasing paydays.  And besides, who’s to say that this won’t be yet another breakout for the young star that could garner him even more notoriety, perhaps even more money?  Afterall, Rupp has proved himself time and time again, and at many distances.

One of the greatest strengths Rupp has is his range and his ability to adapt to a race.  Rupp made a habit of mixing it up during indoors throughout his career, racing off distances and proving he can hold his own against the supposed mid distance specialists.  It seems that Rupp and Alberto really enjoy breaking out of the normal routine, which keeps Galen fresh while continually providing a new stimulus.  Now he will be faced with the daunting task of moving up in distance, twice as far as he’s ever raced in fact, as he will attempt to hang with the big dogs: Hall, Ritz, and of course owner of his own Olympic medal, Meb. 

While each of these potential team members has a major upside of their own and loads more of experience, I can’t help but think that at the end of the day Galen is simply a better runner in many ways.  One might have thought Solinsky could never accomplish sub-27 in his debut 10k simply because of lack of experience, but clearly that logic was flawed.  Granted the difference in distances is substantial, but guys like Solinsky and Rupp in many ways are simply freaks and through years of uninterrupted training and some scary fitness can find a way to stay relaxed and execute even in unfamiliar situations.  Even if the outcome isn't stellar, it's nice to see one of our country's best take to the line for the thrill of a race and a chance to try something different.  

            But still, the question remains: are the talent and the training enough for Galen to conquer the distance, not to mention the competition?

All eyes will be on Houston for the answer.