Ryan Hall's Comments on Jacksonville

don't get it wrote:

Why do people keep talking about Meb being an Olympic Silver medalist like that has anything to do with a 15k? THE 15K IS NOT AN OLYMPIC EVENT. Meb was a medalist in the marathon. If you think that the marathon and the 15k have anything in common check with Todd Williams.

Because Olympic Silver Medalist sounds sexier than 10k American Record Holder - but take your pick.

yer right - you don't get it wrote:

Because Olympic Silver Medalist sounds sexier than 10k American Record Holder - but take your pick.

10k Record Holder. That I get. We are talking about similar race distances that way.

don't get it wrote:

Why do people keep talking about Meb being an Olympic Silver medalist like that has anything to do with a 15k? THE 15K IS NOT AN OLYMPIC EVENT. Meb was a medalist in the marathon. If you think that the marathon and the 15k have anything in common check with Todd Williams.

At the time that Todd ran his 15K record, he would've run a great marathon. Everyone knows he moved up way too late and far past his prime. Usually a very good marathoner will be able to run a high quality 15K. KK's a rare exception, but beyond him there aren't many.

Whoever said Hall would ever be a threat at the international level. He could make an Olympic final in a long distance event, but he is not a great medal threat. If he runs 2:14 in his debut marathon that would be good.

Do you really believe that he is 2 minutes worse than Cabada? He killed Cabada at the 20k in New Haven and again in Debrecen. London is also faster than Fukoka. A 2:11 would be the same as Cabada. He should run mid 2:08's

ttc wrote:

At the time that Todd ran his 15K record, he would've run a great marathon. Everyone knows he moved up way too late and far past his prime. Usually a very good marathoner will be able to run a high quality 15K. KK's a rare exception, but beyond him there aren't many.

Actually when Williams ran his 42:22 or whatever, he was in the prime of his track career, cranking out 13:15's and 27:30s. There is very little sustainable evidence he could have been a sub-2:10 marathoner the year he sat his 15K American record. Only in your youthful, know-it-all dreams, ttc. Carlos Lopes began his marathon career well after Williams did, and the results were none too shabby.

After reading another 4 pages of comments, I will say it again.

HALL WENT OUT AT TOO FAST A PACE FOR THE TIME HE WAS SHOOTING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It doesn't matter whether you are elite, competitive, or a hobbyjogger. If you go out the first mile 10 seconds too fast, you will suffer later in the race and run slower than you would have if you paced properly.

One of the previous comments was that Hall is inconsistent. This is a clear symptom of improper pacing. This happens all the time to high school and college runners. They run their best times when they aren't running against good competition because they set their own pace. When they run against other good runners, they start out at the competitors pace even if they know it is too fast. This leads to a slow bad race.

Had Hall went out a few seconds slower at a pace he could handle, he would have been "excited" when he started to reel in the frontrunners and ran another great race.

since my knee's all tweaked and i have nothing better to do than read this drivel....probably the only mistake ryan made was holding pace over the first bridge, to me it felt WAY too hard pressing up the bridge. had we slowed just a bit up the bridge and regained the lost time down the other side, i figure he probably could have made it to 10k or farther on pace (and i could have made more than 2mi :). everyone still would have fallen off over the big bridge but at least the effort would have been more consistent. i felt great the first mile but that push up the bridge just killed it and it usually never comes back after something like that. btw, conditions weren't that bad, but certainly not like houston, FWIW.

dude-

I agree with you totally. It is amazing how much easier it is to maintain a fast pace by holding back slightly for the first mile or so. Too many runners will never understand how important proper pacing is.

Or maybe no drug for that race which makes it less exciting!

I find RHall's comments to be innocuous, honest & refreshing.

Comments here that question his tactics & motivation remind of those who question 'slow' times from championship races.

You guys are so enamored by a guy who ran one hell of a half marathon; but who lacks any bit of mental toughness. I was at the race in Jacksonville and when Meb and Bizuneh went, Ryan broke without a fight...just because he "wasn't running a particular pace"... That is a sign of a guy that lacks heart..and also not a sign of a competitor..so, I wouldn't pin any hopes of running and winning against any of the best runners in the world on Hall (not yet, atleast)...he definatly is not a 2:07 marathoner as some have predicted on other threads. I doubt that he breaks 2:14 in London..cause when things are not going right and he is not running his race, a mental lapse can be many minutes in a marathon.. Your golden boy is not all that he is cracked up to be...enough said..

Flagpole Willy wrote:

Well, Ryan Hall has now shown his true colors to me. Physical abilities perhaps to be a champion, but that attitude is horrible, and it explains to me why he so often races very well only to be followed by a relatively poor performance. Yes, he still finished second and just 15 seconds behind Meb, and yes everyone is allowed to just not have it, but he gave up on toughing out fighting for the win after mile 1. He gave up MENTALLY...by his own admission. Horrible.

I now no longer believe he has an chance of mixing it up with best in the world. Kind of ashamed of myself for entertaining it for a while there. Hall will continue to show brilliance on ocassion (when not pressed and when no high expectations are placed on him), but he's not got the heart of a champion.

I'm sure Hall is now crushed that he has lost the support and confidence of Flagpole Willy.

positivity wrote:

I don't mean to throw a wet blanket on everyone's hopes for Hall, but I truly believe Hall caught lightning in a bottle at Houston and that it was a career race for him.

The Dude Abides wrote:

lightning in a bottle? NO such thing in (distance) running

Really? Does the name Dave Moorcroft mean anything to you?

Kind of have to agree on Hall, one off thing, or more so than what he looked like at Houston.

Folks will point to his US XC win, but not that strong a field really and Ritz was very ill.

He is one of these runners, that blows out 1-2 really impressive performances a year in between a bunch of races he should win or run better in.

Folks get enamored over the potential sighted, which has been there since he ran 3:42.x in HS, and earlier.

When you add it all up? A very okay career, this one is yet another of why we can never say "this guy is NOW it" GREAT guys beat guys , especially at their specialty.

Certainly not come away with an "I wasn;t excited" reason, have to admit? Never ever heard that one before.Wow.

I am sure I will get bashed for this post, but it rings more true than not, I think you will see, if looking objectively.

I agree with you, but here is my question for you. Would you rather have a Brian Sell who is going to be consistent or a Ryan Hall who is capable of something special running in the Olympics in the marathon.

1) Ever been quoted by a newspaper? Yes. Tons of times...as a runner, as a musician, as a business owner. Other than a typo once, they always got it right. People who say stuff to the media like to take it back later and say they were quoted out of context or misquoted or whatever. Haven't heard Hall say that yet. He said it.

2) He came back on Meb at the end of the race when Meb already had it in the bag? Oh, great for him. I guess we should get ready for his Olympic Gold Medal right now. Someone better call Bekele and give him a heads up -- we've got an American who cut a 30-second gap down to 15 seconds on another American who is on the downside of his career.

3) By saying he wasn't excited, he WAS saying he gave up out there. That's exactly what that quote means. He missed his target times and gave up. Horrible attitude, no matter where he placed.

4) That Ryan Hall has a horrible attitude says nothing about whether I'm "full of [myself]". He didn't say "I just didn't have it today" or "Meb was better today" or anything like that. He said "I wasn't excited". Well then, continue to be unexcited then and finish second. The world is filled with second-place finishers. Horrible attitude.

I wonder if he'll be excited in London? I'm betting not.

MR. DD,Here is the top 10 US marathoners of all time followed by the top 10 15k guys of all time. You will notice how little the two have in common with only Greg Meyer being on both lists. I get so tired of people that believe that the marathon is not a completely different animal than any other road distance.2:05:37.8 ( 1) Khalid Khannouchi (NY) 22 Dec 1971 14 Apr 2002 London ENG USA 2:08:47 a ( 7) Robert Kempainen (MN) 18 Jun 1966 18 Apr 1994 Boston MA USA 2:08:52 a ( 1) Alberto Salazar (OR) 07 Aug 1958 19 Apr 1982 Boston MA USA 2:08:54 a ( 2) Dick Beardsley (MN) 21 Mar 1956 19 Apr 1982 Boston MA USA 2:08:56 ( 4) Abdihakim Abdirahman (AZ) 02 Dec 1978 22 Oct 2006 Chicago IL USA 2:09:01 a ( 1) Greg Meyer (MI) 18 Sep 1955 18 Apr 1983 Boston MA USA 2:09:28 a ( 1) Bill Rodgers (MA) 23 Dec 1947 16 Apr 1979 Boston MA USA 2:09:32 a ( 2) Ron Tabb (CA) 07 Aug 1954 18 Apr 1983 Boston MA USA 2:09:32 ( 4) David Morris (IL) 17 May 1970 24 Oct 1999 Chicago IL USA 2:09:35 ( 7) Jerry Lawson (FL) 02 Jul 1966 19 Oct 1997 Chicago IL USA 42:22 ( 1) Todd Williams (MI) 07 Mar 1969 11 Mar 1995 Jacksonville FL USA 42:40 ( 2) Steven Spence (PA) 09 May 1962 18 Jun 1989 Portland OR USA 42:42 ( 2) Paul Cummings (UT) 05 Sep 1953 26 Jun 1983 Portland OR USA 42:47.6 ( 1) Mebrahtom Keflezighi (CA) 05 May 1975 09 Mar 2002 Jacksonville FL USA 42:50 ( 1) Keith Brantly (FL) 23 May 1962 11 Feb 1989 Tampa FL USA 43:01 ( 6) Mark Curp (MO) 05 Jan 1959 11 Feb 1984 Tampa FL USA 43:04 ( 3) James Cooper (NC) 06 Oct 1959 11 Feb 1989 Tampa FL USA 43:06 ( 4) Tom Wysocki (CA) 19 Oct 1956 09 Feb 1985 Tampa FL USA 43:06 ( 4) Ed Eyestone (UT) 15 Jun 1961 13 Feb 1988 Tampa FL USA 43:07 ( 2) Greg Meyer (MI) 18 Sep 1955 05 Feb 1983 Tampa FL USA ------------------------------------------------------------

dd wrote:

Thanks for the hint on the 15k not being an olympic event, I'll now stop my exhaustive search for previous olympic champions...

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gorney wrote:

It's pretty typical for Flagpole to be crushing on someone whose last name doesn't rhyme with "zits". But underlying everything is a lack of compassion for the guy on a human level. Hall admitted it wasn't his day yesterday. That his plans went askew. So he goes back to the drawing board, makes a few recalibrations and races again. Beating up on the guy for being honest (and possibly being quoted out of context) is hardly anything to puff yourself up over, Flagpole. And the amount of Flagpole puffing today is enough to provide wind energy to sustain a medium-sized town. The real "wuss" in the equation is you. Hall took his shot yesterday and now your little pea-shooter brain is taking shots. Way to go big guy.

1) Had he simply said it wasn't his day, then that would have been fine. He said he wasn't excited. BIG DIFFERENCE.

2) Hall took his shot all right...a little past 1 mile of a 9+ mile race. He quit after that.

3) Who says I don't have compassion for him? I can be compassionate and he can still be a wuss. Many more people in this world need compassion anyway. He didn't do as well as past performances suggest he could have, so he deserves tons of compassion? Man, maybe his fans are wusses too.

Fact of the matter is that after running a world-class time in that half marathon, he's going to be scrutinized more than he was before that. I think everyone's willing to give him a break for a poor performance, especially since his training has likely changed focus a bit, but often times what you say shows your innermost thoughts. Like I said earlier, maybe he didn't even know he had that wussy attitude until he said it. Sometimes you don't fully realize what you think until you say it out loud. Hopefully he will attack this problem of his, and it is a problem. A big wuss problem.