#Official Chicago Marathon Thread#

I have no problem with this coverage. The weather chick is hot.

webb wig wrote:

joan benoit's shrieking squawk is so obnoxious. she sounds like a cow getting slaughtered.

I was thinking more like a cat being strangled.

Something should be said about Ethiopia passing on Kebede for the Olympics. Go with 3 unproven younger runners when Kebede had a great career and shown toughness in some great contests. How stupid do they look now?

First American Women was who?

Anyone dissing Joan Benoit Samuelson is either too young to know or too stupid to live.

Renee Metiever Baillee

8th in 2:27:17

zero chances for US born wrote:

With all due respect to Ritz and his 2:07 time, kudos to him, but when you have East Africans debuting at 2:05, what chances are Americans going to have on winning major marathons?

G. Rupp.

lease wrote:

Well, nice performance for Ritz, but it makes me a little sad--because it (and the money that's available at the marathon distance) may prompt him to continue chasing the marathon, where I just don't think he has the talent to be *truly* world class.

I could see him as potentially an international-championship medalist at shorter distances. Now, I imagine he's likely to be a marathoner "forever." Sad to see it.

Still, terrific performance and PR for Ritz, after all his previous frustration!

What were you expecting, a 4 min PR and an AR? Obviously Ritz has figured something out in order to drop 2 min from his PR. And now he's the #2 US born marathoner ever, and #1 has gone to lalaland. Why wouldn't he or any other sane person try again?

Great debut for Pezz! 2:32:42 - 3rd American.

It is also cold to be traveling along with them at 11mph plus the 9 of the wind. I cannot talk that well when I am running when it is that cold (like yesterday morning).

I thought the woman commentator was annoying until I learned it was Joan.

SO EVERYBODY SHUT THE F UP!!!

The real question is whether Phil Hersch is going to ask the same question of Ritz that he asked Hall last year--how can you be satisfied with your team when you're four minutes away from the top marathoners in the world?

[/quote]

What were you expecting, a 4 min PR and an AR? Obviously Ritz has figured something out in order to drop 2 min from his PR. And now he's the #2 US born marathoner ever, and #1 has gone to lalaland. Why wouldn't he or any other sane person try again?[/quote]

Baysa won the Paris Marathon in 2:22:04!

hahahahahhaha

runnerdave wrote:

Anyone dissing Joan Benoit Samuelson is either too young to know or too stupid to live.

You must not have heard her speaking. I've made it 52 years being as stupid as I am, so I can safely assume I'm not too stupid to live.

hmmmerrer wrote:

If Hansons can take a guy like Drew Polley and make him a 2:15 consistent marathoner and Dot McMahan into a 2:30 low marathoner - what could they do with really high level college talent?

Great question. I ran their "Less is More" training plan for the Charlotte marathon last year and I can say without a doubt I was in the best shape of my life.

This makes Hall and Abdi's Olympic DNFs look even worse. Either one of those guys should have given up their spot to Ritz, who clearly WANTED to run the marathon and clearly had a much better shot at a medal.

Good for the US women -- Ritz got a lot of press finishing 9th male for USA, but US women finished 8-9-10 (Baillie, McMahon, Pezzulo).

Name Redacted wrote:

lease wrote:

Well, nice performance for Ritz, but it makes me a little sad--because it (and the money that's available at the marathon distance) may prompt him to continue chasing the marathon, where I just don't think he has the talent to be *truly* world class.

I could see him as potentially an international-championship medalist at shorter distances. Now, I imagine he's likely to be a marathoner "forever." Sad to see it.

Still, terrific performance and PR for Ritz, after all his previous frustration!

Ritz is 29. His days on the track were numbered anyway.

Agreed, but I hope he focuses on world cross and track in 2013, giving it another shot (I think he could've gone sub-27:00 this year in a late, post-Olympic 10,000). But, clearly this gives him new-found confidence in the marathon, and he'll be vying for the Olympic marathon team in 2016. Also, I agree that Hall and/or Abdi should've conceded a spot this year much earlier, knowing their injury problems well in advance. As much as I like Hall, his best days are in the rear view mirror.

Actually, from places 8-30 in the women's race, all but two are Americans (the other two are Canadians). Wow.

8 Metivier Baillie, Renee (USA) 212 30 05:37 - +05:14 02:27:17

9 McMahan, Dot (USA) 211 35 05:49 - +10:08 02:32:11

10 Pezzullo, Stephanie (USA) 214 30 05:50 - +10:39 02:32:42

11 Bracy, Addie (USA) 218 26 06:10 - +19:26 02:41:29

12 Stucky, Raquel (USA) Pretty Prairie, KS 322 37 06:11 - +20:05 02:42:08

13 Ardrey, Deanna (USA) 217 29 06:15 - +21:34 02:43:37

14 Tollefson, Lindsay (USA) Mammoth Lakes, CA 216 27 06:15 - +21:49 02:43:52

15 Gray, Lory (USA) Waltham, MA 340 32 06:17 - +22:22 02:44:25

16 Braswell, Erica (USA) Birmingham, AL 317 32 06:22 - +24:50 02:46:53

17 Smith, Lucinda (USA) Kensington, MD 315 31 06:23 - +25:08 02:47:11

18 Gerspacher, Rosemarie (CAN) Calgary, AB 262 36 06:24 - +25:22 02:47:25

19 Heckert, Kristen (USA) Lisle, IL 268 25 06:25 - +25:53 02:47:56

20 Lifka, Tammy (USA) Glen Ellyn, IL 314 42 06:27 - +26:59 02:49:02

21 Goebel, Jennifer (USA) San Mateo, CA 384 30 06:32 - +28:57 02:51:00

22 Fiduccia, Christina (USA) Chicago, IL 336 26 06:32 - +29:10 02:51:13

23 Chaney, Emily (USA) Huntington, WV 302 30 06:33 - +29:18 02:51:21

24 Ford, Kara (USA) Broomfield, CO 299 34 06:34 - +29:52 02:51:55

25 Cullen, Cathy (CAN) Winnipeg, MB 261 32 06:34 - +30:04 02:52:07

26 Marsh, Lynn (USA) North Vernon, IN 306 26 06:34 - +30:09 02:52:12

27 Kato, Stephanie (USA) San Jose, CA 359 24 06:35 - +30:14 02:52:17

28 Bradshaw, Kate (USA) Seattle, WA 304 31 06:35 - +30:19 02:52:22

29 Selert, Kir (USA) New York, NY 275 25 06:35 - +30:26 02:52:29

30 Casto, Katie (USA) Brooklyn, NY 335 30 06:36 - +30:43 02:52:46