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LetsRun.com Preview of Gate River Run: Ryan Hall Returns to Racing after His American Record in the Half Marathon
March 8, 2007
LetsRun.com

The last time Ryan Hall raced, 8 weeks ago at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, he delivered one of the most stunning performances in American distance running history. Racing against Athens Olympic silver medallist Meb Keflezighi, Hall ran 59:43 for the half marathon, smashing the US record and the magical 1 hour barrier, becoming the 8th fastest peron in the world on a records-eligible course.

Hall's much anticipated return to action is Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida at the Gate River Run, which is serving as the USATF 15k championships for the 12th time. Hall once again will be racing Keflezighi, but this time he might find Keflezighi more up to the challenge for 2 reasons: 1) Meb is rounding into shape for next month's London marathon and 2) Meb always runs well in Jacksonville.

Since 2001, Meb has come to the Gate River Run 5 times, and 5 times he's walked away with the winner's check ($12,000 this year + a $5,000 equalizer bonus). Most years Meb has won pretty convincingly (21 seconds in 2001 (43:16), 40 seconds in 2002 (42:49), 28 seconds in 2003 (43:31), just 2 seconds in 2004 (43:18), and 26 seconds last year (43:43)).

Will Todd Williams' American Record Fall?
But if Hall is anywhere near the fitness and form of his American record in the half marathon, Meb will have to take his game to another level to come out on top. Todd Williams ran one of the most impressive road races in the history of American running when he set the American Record 42:22 in Jacksonville in 1995. Todd was on fire in 2005, and went on to finish 9th at the World XC Champs that year as well (when there was only one race like there is this year).