Ryan Hall Wins USA Olympic Trials Marathon

Story written by EPelle

NEW YORK - Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell won spots on the USA men's Olympic marathon team for the Beijing by finishing 1-2-3 Saturday at the USA Olympic Trials.

All three made the Olympics in the marathon for the first time, with Hall and Sell making their first Olympic team. Ritzenhein contested the 10.000m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Hall, who had never run a marathon before April, won with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 2 seconds after running five loops around Central Park. He was followed by Ritzenhein in 2.11.07 and Sell in 2.11.40.

This race started at a 2.20 marathon pace as the runners were feeling each other out early, with Hall running his first 10km in 32.36. Hall closed his race out in a stunning 1.02.45 -- a time which was spectacular considering the undulating Central Park looped course the runners faced five times in addition to the wind.

Hall set a USA Olympic Trials record with his victory, and ran 10km splits of 32.36 - 30.38 - 29.53 - 29.25 between 10km and 40km, and ran his fastest 10km segment during the 25th and 35th kilometres, splitting 29.16.

Tony Sandoval held the previous record, timing 2.10.19 in winning the 1980 USA Olympic Marathon trials.

Hall ran an incredulous 4.32 18th-mile to break away from the pack once Khalid Khannouci cut into the lead shared by the five-person contingent through mile-17, and establish a lead he'd increase as the next eight miles wore on, even splitting 4.34 at mile 20.

"I'm just thrilled with the day the Lord gave me and thrilled to be part of this Olympic team," Hall said. "I was thinking about the Olympics when I was out there on that last lap and the fitness it will take. The last mile, I knew I was going to be OK. I know I can run considerably faster. There's definitely more gears in there. I'll get to test those in Beijing."

Hall, who set a national 20km record (57.54) while finishing 11th in the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary one year ago in October, set his second American record in winning the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, in Houston, Texas, in 59.43 - a mark which also set a new continental record. He appeared to treat his final mile as a victory lap, raising his hands to the supportive crowds lined up to the finish line.

Ritzenhein, who improved his best marathon time by over three minutes in this, his second-career marathon, is stated to be considering whether or not to contest the 10.000m in Beijing - a distance which he has also qualified under the "A"-standard, but one which he would need to contest and finish in the top-3 at the USATF Outdoor Championships in June if he chooses to take the shorter race in Beijing's heat, humidity and smog.

Sell had cemented belief in his capabilities by winning the 2007 USATF 25K Championships. Sell led the 2004 Olympic Trials pack from the seventh through 22nd miles before he was caught and eventually faded during the final four miles to finish twelth (2.17.20).

American marathon-record holder Khannouchi, formerly of Morocco, finished fourth (2.12.33) and will be the first alternate if Ritzenhein declines to contest the marathon in Beijing or either Hall or Sell are unable to compete.

Khannouchi is also the former marathon world-ecord holder, and is the only man in history to ever run sub-2.06 three times. He was the fastest of the qualifiers, having run 2.07.04 in London in April 2006.

Mebrathom Keflezighi, the 2004 silver-medalist in Athens, finished out of the running with a 2.15.09 eighth-place effort.

Hall enacted his second-consecutive revenge race on Ritzenhein, who had defeated him at two previous national championship events, winning the 2003 NCAA Cross Country Championships (29.14,1) to Hall's runner-up, and the 2000 Footlocker National Cross Country Championships (14.35) over Alan Webb and Hall.

Hall won the 2006 USATF National Cross Country Championships at the 12km distance. Ritzenhein finished a disappointing fourth, more than a minute behind Hall.

Hall, Ritzenhein and Webb have each gone on to record spectacular achievements at the senior level, with Webb setting the American record in the mile last summer; Hall setting two road-running national records; and Ritzenhein recording one of the fastest 2-mile times in American history last summer (8.11,74y) to go along with his 2007 IAAF World Championship and 2004 Athens Olympic Games 10.000m appearances.

Tragedy Strikes

Ryan Shay, the 2003 USATF Marathon Winner and 2004 Olympic Trials favourite, died today whilst falling down face-first near the five-mile marker according to a person reporting on Track & Field News's public bulletin board and later confirmed by NBC Olympics and USATF, which released a statement below.

"We all are devastated over Ryan's death. He was a tremendous champion who was here today to pursue his dreams. The Olympic Trials is traditionally a day of celebration, but we are heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan's wife, Alicia, and all of his family. His death is a tremendous loss for the sport and the long-distance running community."

Shay had at one point in 2005 been suffering from Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, also known as severe total-body fatigue before beginning a modest training buildup for his next marathon two months later. Shay stated to Runner's World "that was quite a shock--an eye opener. It told me that maybe I used to push too hard."

It is not known if AFS is what caused Shay to not finish today's marathon race.

Shay, the 2001 NCAA 10.000m champion and a 2.14.09 marathoner, was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital and was pronounced dead at 8.46 a.m.

Shay is survived by his new bride, Hall's former Stanford University teammate Alicia Craig, winner of two NCAA 10,000 meter titles as a Cardinal. Craig, who possesses best times of 15.25,75 for 5000m and 32.19,97 10.000m, had planned on attempting to make the Beijing Olympic team at the 10.000m distance.

Shay was 28 years old.

Results (top-50):

1. Ryan Hall 25 Mammoth Lakes CA 2:09:02
2. Dathan Ritzenhein 24 Eugene OR 2:11:07
3. Brian Sell 29 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:11:40
4. Khalid Khannouchi 36 Ossining NY 2:12:34
5. Jason Lehmkuhle 30 Minneapolis MN Team USA Minnesota 2:12:54
6. Daniel Browne 32 Beaverton OR Nike 2:13:23
7. Nathaniel Jenkins 27 Lowell MA 2:14:56
8. Meb Keflezighi 32 San Diego CA 2:15:09
9. Josh Rohatinsky 25 Portland OR Nike 2:15:22
10. Jason Hartmann 26 Boulder CO 2:15:27
11. Matthew Gonzales 26 Albuquerque NM Nike 2:16:14
12. Mike Morgan 27 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:16:28
13. Fasil Bizuneh 27 Flagstaff AZ 2:16:47
14. James Carney 29 Boulder CO New Balance 2:16:54
15. Steve Sundell 25 Redwood City CA 2:16:54
16. Christopher Raabe 28 Washington DC 2:17:01
17. Nick Arciniaga 24 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:17:08
18. Clint Verran 32 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:17:10
19. Matt Pelletier 28 Warwick RI Running Heritage 2:17:17
20. Chad Johnson 31 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:17:58
21. Joshua Ordway 27 Dublin OH Columbus Running Company 2:18:10
22. Jacob Frey 26 Oakton VA 2:18:19
23. Joe Driscoll 28 Blowing Rock NC ZAP Fitness 2:18:22
24. John Mentzer 31 Monterey CA U.S. Navy 2:18:23
25. Allen Wagner 27 San Diego CA 2:18:25
26. Patrick Rizzo 24 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:18:30
27. Sergio Reyes 26 Los Osos CA Asics Aggie Running Club 2:18:31
28. Patrick Moulton 25 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:18:35
29. Mikhail Sayenko 23 Bellevue WA 2:18:35
30. Donovan Fellows 28 Woodbury MN 2:18:45
31. Miguel Nuci 28 Turlock CA Transports Adidas Racing Team 2:18:47
32. Michael Reneau 29 Rochester Hills MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:18:51
33. Macharia Yuot 25 Chester PA 2:18:56
34. Dan Sutton 27 Madison WI Wisconsin Runner Racing Team 2:18:59
35. Nicholas Cordes 28 Ashland OH Brooks 2:19:01
36. Teren Jameson 30 Taylorsville UT 2:19:05
37. Chris Lundstrom 31 Minneapolis MN Team USA Minnesota 2:19:21
38. Eric Post 28 Centreville VA 2:19:25
39. Matthew Folk 31 Canfield OH Team Good River 2:19:47
40. James Lander 28 La Habra CA 2:20:09
41. Michael Cox 32 Princeton WV 2:20:12
42. Greg Costello 26 Chicago IL Nike Central Elite Racing Team 2:20:28
43. Luke Humphrey 26 Rochester MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:20:34
44. John Lucas 27 Eugene OR Team XO 2:20:48
45. John Service 27 San Jose CA Asics Aggie Running Club 2:21:12
46. Adam Tribble 27 Fayetteville AR 2:21:21
47. Todd Snyder 30 Shelby Township MI Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:21:30
48. Nick Schuetze 25 Portland OR Team XO 2:21:36
49. Alan Horton 27 Knoxville TN 2:22:03
50. James Nielsen 28 Palo Alto CA Transports Adidas Racing Team 2:22:11

American Ryan Hall Sets National Record

Story written by EPelle

Ryan Hall, who set a national 20km record (57.54) while finishing 11th in the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary in October, set his second American record in as many races, winning the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, in Houston, Texas, in 59.43 - a mark which also set a new continental record.

Hall, 24, broke the previous American record - 1.00.55 set in Philadelphia in 1985 by of Mark Curp - by three minutes, hitting the 10km marker in 28.21 en-route to his astounding victory.

The previous North American half marathon best was shared by two Mexican athletes, Dionicio Cerón (1994-January-23 in Tokyo) andGérman Silva (1994-September-24 in Oslo), who both ran 1.00,28.

Hall defeated Fasil Bizuneh (1.02.20) and 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist Mebrahtom Keflezighi (2.11.29) in the process.

Hall has found his groove in the longer races after being a strict 1.500m runner entering his collegiate career at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Hall completed his collegiate career a 5.000m runner after suffering a series of setbacks and injuries with 1.500m training. In June 2005, the Stanford star won his first-ever NCAA title, running 13.22,22 for a new Stanford record in the 5.000m. Teammate Ian Dobson followed in 13.22,55.

Two weeks later, at the USA Track and Field Championships, Hall finished third in 13.16,03 to qualify for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships - he finished 16th in his heat, trailing only Dobson, and winner Tim Broe.

Hall's cross country brilliance was finally brought forth to life when he finished 2nd at the 2003 NCAA Championships to Dathan Ritzenhein, his old high school nemesis.

A USA high school cross country star - he was 3rd at the 2000 Footlocker High School Cross Country Championships behind Ritzenhein, who finished sixth at yesterday's Edinburgh Cross Country meet, and miler Alan Webb, who has churned on the motors to record 3.32,52/3.48,92/8.11,48 bests in the middle distances, Hall was known more for being a 1.500m star in high school, running 3.42,70 - the third fastest high school performance ever for the distance.

Hall was also the California state cross country champion during his junior and senior seasons at Big Bear High School.

Hall's younger brother Chad, is also a two-time California cross country champion, equalling his brother's family bragging rights. Chad, however, went one step further in winning the Footlocker Cross Country Championships, a feat which Ryan did not accomplish at that age.

Men's Racing, a New York Road Runners website, interviewed Hall after his terrific spring campaign in 2005, citing:

"To be honest, I haven't thought about that [being part of a US running renaissance] a lot. I hope that I can help inspire people to run faster and to train hard. I get really encouraged when I see guys like Broe running fast times. We need guys to run fast in the states too, so Americans can actually see it and be inspired by it. The more guys we have breaking down barriers, the better off American distance running will be. We still have a long ways to go but we have a good start. As far as me being a part of it all, I just train hard and give God the outcomes. Sometimes I think as Americans we think too much. We think about how fast 62 second pace is for 5Ks. I have a feeling the runners who are running sub 13:00 5Ks aren't caught up in thinking how fast 62s are, they just go out there and run gutsy races" (click here for full interview).

Indeed, Hall appears to have put his mind to rest when dealing with pacing chores, as he averaged 52 laps and change at a clip of 67,92 seconds per round today in his record run.

A question which arises is whether Hall will run a marathon in the near future, or if he will eye perhaps the 10.000m run. Hall seems capable of maintaining a 66-flat pace for 25 laps, a clip which will drop him to a 27.30 and likely spot at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka.

Only time will tell, however, as Hall eases into an easy run tomorrow, and sets his sights on the next prize, the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kenya in March. Hall has twice run in the World Cross Country Championships, finishing 43rd in last year's long course race in Fukuoka, and doubling back for a 19th placing in the short course race the following day.

Top-5 Results:

1 Ryan Hall, USA, 59.43
2 Fasil Bizuneh, USA, 1.02.20
3 Mebrahtom Keflezighi, USA, 1.02.22
4 Andrew Carlson, USA, 1.02.43
5 Jason Lehmkule, USA, 1.02.50, 1.02.20

Ryan Hall's Personal Bests:

• 1.500 Metres: 3.42,70, Stanford, 2001-June-9
• Two Miles: 8.26,26, Carson, CA, 2006-May-21
• 5.000 Metres: 13.16,03, Carson, CA 2005-June-24
• 15 KM 43.25, Debrecen, 2006-October-8
• 20 KM 57.54, Debrecen, 2006-October-8
• Half Marathon: 59.42, Houston, 2007-January-14