Alan Culpepper takes 4th in the Boston Marathon!

[polyxc]

1 min. 56 seconds behind the winner!

Best finish by an American since 1987!

2:13:39 on a very hot and windy day for a marathon!

[CovXC]

yea i was up thier, he looked really really strong when he went by me ( i was at about a half mile to go). It's great to see an american finish that high. The winner was also the first ethopian since 1989 to win which is pretty cool too.

[one_more_mile]

Nice work. Great job, it's always nice to see an american run good in the boston although I think its been a while.

[daman]

Americans also took 10th (Gilmore) and 11th (Shay). Only one American in the top 10 over the last 10 years before today.

[Dragonsoul]

I'll copy and paste my other post...

Great race Alan Culpepper! Along with Alan Webb, Alan Culpepper is my favorite American distance runner! He's ran excellent in his past marathons...

1. 2:09 in New York to tie(?) USA male debut record
2. Won Olympic Trials marathon
3. 12th in Athens after injury issues
4. 4th in boston(2:13 but course is tough and it was warm)

Face it, it was a good day for Alan Culpepper. Yea he didn't win but he competed near the front with a bunch of top Kenyans who are faster than him. He didn't run a fast time but nobody did, it was a touch course and difficult weather conditions. If you just look at the place and time without thinking through the entire situation you will too many times be upset about a truly great race!

Go Alan!!! I wonder what's next for him? World Champs marathon but hopefully he runs a long race before it again!

What do you think of Ryan Shay and the other USA guy(10th place guy)'s performance? I look at the place and I'd say it was good, but I'm not really sure how good they actually are, please post!

Great job USA! ... oh were there any elite USA women there?

...

Mercury, post! I like your avatar! I hope Alan Culpepper comes back to win next year! I want Meb and Browne and Abdi and Kennedy to run here next year! It's time to take back our marathon(no offense Kenyans! :p!!!)

Imagine the Boston Marathon 2006...
Alan Culpepper, Meb, Browne, Abdi, and Kennedy! That would be insane!!! Would it happen? I've had enough of the top USA guys running some other marathon, I think it would be great for them to take over Boston! Ditch the National Champs in 2006, and there is no World Champs/Olympics in 2006 so to the USA elites ... make your 2006 top marathon BOSTON!

Me: ":rolleyes::eek::p!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[BABAR]

What do you think of Ryan Shay and the other USA guy(10th place guy)'s performance? I look at the place and I'd say it was good, but I'm not really sure how good they actually are, please post!


Tenth Place was Peter Gilmore from CA, i wonder why hes not getting the same attention as culpepper and shay

[PuppyKicker]

the other USA guy(10th place guy)
lol, yeah Peter Gilmore. This is a great high finish for him, but he's not exactly a nobody. He was ninth, I believe, at the Trials, and has a PR of 2:14 low. Used to run for the farm team too, but left to train solo. Nice interview of him here:

http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2005/petergilmore.html

He definitely should be getting attention for his performance...it speaks of the growing depth in US distance running. Culpepper's race shows we can compete at the top, but when less heralded runners like Gilmore slip in there it gives me optimism about the state of US marathoning as a whole, not just with two guys. Ninth at trials and then tenth at Boston is good news for everyone.

[Dragonsoul]

Good result for him, I never heard of him, but I know him now, what is next for him? :p?!

[PuppyKicker]

Well, he graduated in 2000, so he is probably about 26 years old (?), which would make him about 29 for the 2008 trials, so that is probably where his long term goals lie. But if he can compete like that at Boston he could probably make a good name for himself running Chicago and Boston until then.