Galen Rupp to race half-marathon, Olympic Trials qualifier possible

Galen Rupp would have to run faster than 65 minutes for the half-marathon to qualify for the Olympic Trials. He has a 60:30 personal best.

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp will race the Foot Traffic Holiday Half Marathon in Portland, Ore. this weekend, reports Peter Gambaccini​ of Runner's World.

”He’s run this distance in the past as part of his ongoing training and is looking forward to competing in his first road race in Portland,” agent Ricky Simms told RW.

The agent did not confirm whether Rupp was considering a run at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles. Rupp would have to run 65:00 or faster to hit the trials' qualifying standard.

The performance must be run on a certified and sanctioned course by U.S.A. Track and Field. The course for the Foot Traffic Holiday Half is certified but not yet sanctioned. The sanction could be approved by the end of the week, a USATF official tells RW. He was originally planning to run Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Half-Marathon on Sunday, race organizers told SI. 

Rupp holds a 60:30 personal best from his third place finish at the 2011 NYC Half-Marathon. The time is the fifth fastest in American history. He did not race at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and has never contested the 26.2 mile distance.

A debut at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials would not be out of the ordinary as U.S. half-marathon champion Diego Estrada and former NCAA cross-country champion Sam Chelanga will make their marathon debuts at the trials.

• Kara Goucher wins Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Half in 71:11

Rupp won a silver medal in the 10,000-meter run at the 2012 Olympics in London behind training partner Mo Farah. Rupp could opt to remain on the track and contend for a spot on the U.S. national team competing at March's IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Portland.

Training partner Mo Farah, who won Olympic and World Championship gold medals ahead of Rupp, will not be competing at world indoors. Farah made his marathon debut at the 2014 London Marathon and finished in eighth place with a 2:08:21 performance​. Farah has said that he will not run another marathon until after next summer's Olympics.

Rupp is coming off a year in which he finished fifth in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter run at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing. He has not won a medal at a global championship since London.

The men's 10,000-meter run at next summer's Olympics is scheduled for Aug. 13. The men's marathon takes place on the final day of the Summer Games on Aug. 21. Rupp won last summer's U.S. Championship and would have to finish in the top three of July's U.S. Olympic Trials to qualify for the 10,000-meters in Rio.

The former Oregon Duck star was mentioned in a joint BBC and ProPublica report that alleged Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar pushed the boundaries on doping rules to gain a competitive advantage by encouraging the use of prescription medication and therapeutic use exemptions. Rupp has been coached by Salazar since he was a teenager and has never tested positive for any performance enhancing drugs. Salazar remains under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Salazar and Rupp have denied all allegations.

- Christopher Chavez