Ryan Hall might just be the next great American marathoner. If the US Olympic Marathon Trials is any indication, he already is.
On Saturday, in New York City, Hall won the US Olympic Marathon Trials in an astonishing 2:09:02 on a brutally tough course to win by more than two minutes and shatter the previous Trials record by 1:17. Dathan Ritzenheim finished in 2:11:07, followed by Brian Sell in 2:11:40. All three will make up the US marathon team for the ’08 Olympics in Beijing with Khalid Khannouchi, who was fourth in 2:12:34, as the alternate.
The race was overshadowed by the tragic death of Ryan Shay, who dropped out early in the race, died of a heart attack. Shay, a 28-year-old from Michigan who has been training in Mammouth Lakes, California, was a graduate of Notre Dame and recently married. Shay, who was the ’03 national marathon champion, collapsed on the first lap of the Trials, less than 30 minutes into the race and later died in a hospital.
Austin’s Lance Parker was on 5:18 per mile pace through 20 miles, but faded badly in the final six to finish in 2:25:32 for 71st place. Parker, who was shivering uncontrollably in a medical tent at the finish, said: "I ran as hard as I could and gave it everything I had today. But it was a tough day on a tough course. My legs took a beating and the last four or five miles were very hard."
Hall was content to run with the pack for the first 17 miles, but surged in the 18th mile with a 4:32 mile to pull away from the field to win comfortably. Ritzenheim couldn’t match Hall’s move and settled for second, while Sell, who had vowed to quit running if he didn’t make the team, passed ’04 Olympian Dan Browne, who suffered a calf cramp, for third.
Such favorites as ’04 Olympians Abdi Abdiraham and Alan Culpepper dropped out while ’04 Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezghi was in contention for third place through 20 miles but ran out of gas and finished eighth in 2:15:09.
"Hall looked incredible," said Derick Williamson who was in New York with Lance Parker. "He’s the real deal. He made this race look easy."
1. Ryan Hall 2:09:02
2. Dathan Ritz 2:11:07
3. Brian Sell 2:11:40
4. Khalid Khannouchi 2:12:34
5. Jason Lehmkuhle 2:12:54
6. Dan Browne 2:13:23
7. Nathaniel Jenkins 2:14:56
8. Meb Keflezighi 2:15:09
9. Josh Rohatinsky 2:15:22
10. Jason Hartmann 2:15:27
