Ryan Hall Boston Prediction Thread

Too much pressure on Shalane (2:26). Ryan Hall: 2:10

Doclove wrote:

God knows

I bet you don't think that way when you're on your death bed. Good luck as it's hot down there. If you can state your sarcastic opinion, then I can state my real one.

I hope he breaks 2:07 and is in the top 3, but the naysayers will disappear then or just put a negative spin on it with their superior running knowledge.

JW in Texas

Yeah he's ALL (only one) we've got. Africans probably have 60 who can beat him.

VF Runner wrote:

I doubt it will be a DNS now that we've gotten this close and haven't heard anything. It is true that pretty much every marathon he's finished has been a "good" one. I think this will continue that streak.

Barring unusual conditions, I say he runs 2:07:34 - up near the front most of the way but holds steady and can't go when the eventual winners make their move.

Hall has been frustrating at times, but he has been our best, so we should all hope for him to do well.

Jobby Hogger wrote:

Citizen Runner wrote:

Current forecast has temperatures in the 50s with low humidity and light wind SSW, so a great day for running but not wind aided. I expect the winner to be around 2:07 and Hall if he's in good shape to be around 2:09. One concern is that Hall was a late addition to Boston which might be an indication that he got a late start to training because of some injury or another.

Or.....

He could have announced his entry late b/c he didn't want to have to pull out AGAIN. He played it safe and only entered when he felt confident that he would be well-trained and healthy.

2:09:02

That could be, but one would thing he'd want to get on contract while the race has the kind of appearance money Hall would command. It's the BAA/John Hancock making the elite field announcements and I don't see why they'd hold off. As it was, they announced Hall and Abdi as additions in early March, the same time that Mosop and Ritz dropped. One interpretation is that BAA only had sufficient budget to sign Hall at that point, so either Hall and his agent were playing chicken with the BAA unwilling to pay what Hall wanted earlier and/or Hall wasn't looking like a good risk. One wonders what Hall would have done had the BAA not lost a couple headliners.

Im an Optomist- RYAN HALL WINS!!! SETS NEW AMERICAN RECORD

2:04:28

He will run well as long as god shows up to pace him.

However, I am predicting that god will miss the start due to food poisoning and Ryan will freak out and DNF.

DNF due to unforeseeable act of Coach.

If he wins or runs low 2:07, I'll flip.

I wish he stuck with quick courses so we could rave about his times.

He is closer to being a 2:09 guy than his best. He is now living in 2:05 world.

Lets hope he runs smart stays back but in touch and picks up the pieces for a high finish and respectable time.

The problem is, even if he is fit and is running great workouts, it's been too long since he has been in a battle like this and he won't be able to run to his fitness level.

TrollPatroll wrote:

He will run well as long as god shows up to pace him.

However, I am predicting that god will miss the start due to food poisoning and Ryan will freak out and DNF.

That's funny! On a more serious note, his training in Ethiopia sounds like a vacation. Vastly different from training camps all the top Kenyans go through. But I hope he does well. He's a total loon but he is fun to watch

When was the last time Hall ran an elite time? (Eg low 28 for a road 10k or a sub 62 for a half)

It's interesting that we're all talking about Hall but nobody's talking about Meb or Abdi. I realize this is the Hall thread, but what about Meb? Does Meb have a chance to place? I doubt it, but his Olympic run was sure awesome. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hall run under 2:08. He still has the potential to do that. I hope he doesn't act as pacer again. He should tuck in behind and wait for the hills - but I doubt he will.

"Unforseeable act of coach" ftw

One of a number of odd things about Hall: I remember Larry Rawson pointing it out the last time Hall ran Boston - Hall was looking at his watch like every 30 seconds. For any of us runners - that is a sign of an "psych-out mental tic". If I was running next to somebody who was doing that, I'd think "This guys not gonna win." Wrong state of mind.

boston is a minute slower or so that london and the wind aided results of boston i think just made it equivalent to a fast course, which makes the results legit.

hall by all accounts is back in shape, but i'll venture a guess that he's a minute or two back of optimal.

so that brings a 208, or a 207. 209 would be a good result too, something to build on,

i'm of the mind that hall should get back on the track at 10k and run a sub 60 half and then go back to the marathon. he's got the endurance no doubt.

all of which means he should do a lot of 420 and 430 mile work and cut down the total distance. but NOT do fast 200m repeats and crap like that. ease into the faster pace until it is comfortable. otherwise injury is likely.