Galen Rupp

Long-distance running is not traditionally thought of as an Olympic sport overflowing with Jews. Walking briskly away from danger, sure. Running 26.2 miles purely for recreation? That sounds like unnecessary cardiovascular exertion when one could be sitting comfortably indoors with a nice pastrami sandwich.

Enter Galen Rupp, who practically broke the mold of American distance running. He grabbed a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze in the marathon at Rio in 2016. For years, he was the clean-cut, masked-against-allergies prodigy under controversial coach Alberto Salazar at the Nike Oregon Project. He’s gritty, he’s fast, and he doesn’t fade in the final lap.

Alas, the secret to his stamina is not manna in the desert. Rupp was raised Catholic in Portland, Oregon, attended Central Catholic High School, and has zero discernible Jewish ancestry. He’s just a lanky guy from the Pacific Northwest who really likes jogging very, very fast.

So if you were hoping to claim that Olympic silver as a triumph of Jewish stamina, keep on walking. Or jogging. Slowly.