The Russell has been a much stronger index than the S&P for quite a few months.
The Russell is almost back to its June high while the S&P is about 8% away. A long Russell / short s&p spread has worked out very well for the past few months.
The financials have been a big drag on the S&P. Unless the financials pick back up, you will continue to see the S&P underperform the Rus and Naz.