Cooper Teare???

The sooner Cooper learns that he isn't a 1500m guy and that Ben Thomas isn't a 5000m coach the better.

He wasn’t running much better at Bowerman tbf. His best year imo was 2022 under Thomas. He ran a 13:06 5k with a fast last lap and won the US 1500 splitting under 38 for the last 300m.

He’s a 1500m/5k guy, he just struggles with positioning in his races especially on the last lap. Somewhat ironically, this is what Centro excelled at. Still, Cooper’s a fun runner to watch and I hope he can figure it out before the trials

Doesn’t Teare’s strength and dominating win over the field (including Hocker) at USA XC a month ago show he is much better suited to 5K/10K than 1500? It seems fairly obvious..

Hatred to say it but he ran better than he has been running. At least he was close. At Millrose he got blown away in the mile. He let himself get too far back and it was too late

Meant hate to say it

What he should do is move to Park City and train with Grant Fisher

No, the best U.S. distance runners weren’t there, and his performance wasn’t worth much more than 28:00. For sure, he’s better at 1500 than 10000, and I think the jury’s still out for between 1500 and 5000m.

This is bad advice that perpetuates the problem of American Distance Running. No, you don't give up and move up. You go back into training using this as a learning lesson and you come back stronger.

We know Cooper Teare can run a great mile, 3000 and 5000. We need him to continue to hone that speed and gain confidence at that distance. Then he can move up to the 5000 a month or two from the trials.

Yeah, he is certainly not a 1500m guy. Bottom of his range. He's a 3k-5K guy.

Maybe it's strategic ?

Watching his 2022 season he ran great times in February/March (3:50 / 13:06) but by end of July he got a stress fracture.

In 2023 he had quite a good year up to May where he ran a 3:32 PB, but then had a terrible USA Championship 4th place in 3:39 in July.

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So maybe he now he doesn't want to have many peak and prefer to "go easy", and only peak later on in the year ?

He's a baby cat, always has been always will be.

True, I guess 10K is pushing it. But I’m not seeing the 1500 for him. My point is his dominance over Hocker in XC vs Hocker’s dominance yesterday proves that he maybe doesn’t have the speed to be competitive on a world stage in the 1500 but could find some success in the 5K, maybe even 3K.

GF said he was going to Flag for the winter

Ben Thomas coached him to

a) an NCAA 5k title over Luis Grijalva, Patrick Dever, Athanas Kioko et al

b) 4th at the Olympic Trials later that year 1 second behind Chelimo, Woody and Grant.

That 13:06 in a low-key outdoor meet. I have no doubt he can coach him well in the 5,000.

This is what I find most odd. Pretty much everyone sees Cooper as a 5k guy except for Cooper. Thomas had him as the 5k guy at Oregon. Schumacher thought his best event was the 5k. Sure he's found some success at the shorter stuff, but his 1500/mile prowess makes him even more dangerous at the distance he's most likely to succeed in, the 5000m. I think it makes sense for any athlete to go up and down in distance during each build, but ultimately you have to pick your best distance for championships. Most of us bystanders think luck played a big roll in his 1500m title. He'd have better luck in the 5k year over year. People keep listing names of podium contenders for the 5k, but often times the top guys are injured or aren't fit. If Teare is healthy and fit, he's a top 5 guy all day every day and he probably wins a few times. In the 1500, he's just another top 10 guy looking for an opening.

I think the 1500 is more “fun” and the times put up by Grant, Woody and Klecker are intimidating. But the landscape has changed, Chelimo and Woody look a little old. Grant is great, but has never looked untouchable in an unpaced race. Klecker is up and down, and many of these guys will be doubling back from the 10. Nur (who has been a little underwhelming indoors), Beadlescomb and Hacker are totally beatable by Cooper on the right day. So I agree I like Teare’s chances and I think the adjustment is having him race more 1500s and mix in the training more too because that seems to be where he’s happiest and most successful.

Probably didn’t think the race going to be won in 337 . Did anyone ? Internal clock set at 340 and he ended up way back at the bell

Well, he trains with the guy that won the race. I'm pretty sure they weren't keeping their tactics and expectations a secret from one another.

Was thinking the same. Teare’s 2021 campaign was something to behold. He just ran into a brick wall of a 2x Olympic medalist and two 5k American Record holders at the Trials.

He’s a 5k guy.