Ryan Hall's post-LA facebook statement

via facebook:

"It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward". -Rocky

youtu.be/FkJLTGweKl0

I think I have seen this movie...

RunnerSTL wrote:

What do you speculate Ryan pulls in per year with his Asics contract?

I'd have to guess Ryan makes 50k base salary from Asics. Then he has bonuses, race appearance fees, and (not as frequent now) prize money.

Sara probably makes half of what Ryan makes.

Reality biter wrote:

Running a 2:30 or 2:40 marathon would destroy Hall's marketability. Better for him to drop out and keep the checks coming in.

People are talking about Ryan dropping out because he'd be embarrassed to run another 2:17 or whatever, but I think that if he had finished it would be more like 2:30+ like this guy says. The guy's last mile was 5:46 and he was clearly hurting at mile 13. How long before he would have ventured into 6:00+ territory?

He dropped out just after the lead Americans passed him and also just before he was about to catch up with the lead female group. The announcers speculated that it was a combination of discouragement at being passed and also not wanting to upset his wife that led him to stop. I think these were factors, but I wonder if the possibility that he would be passed back by 1 or more elite women (maybe even his wife) was the most significant factor that played into his decision.

agc5k wrote:

I'd have to guess Ryan makes 50k base salary from Asics. Then he has bonuses, race appearance fees, and (not as frequent now) prize money.

Sara probably makes half of what Ryan makes.

Wow, this is way less than I thought...

Just tossing my hat in the ring as a coach.

RunnerSTL wrote:

agc5k wrote:

I'd have to guess Ryan makes 50k base salary from Asics. Then he has bonuses, race appearance fees, and (not as frequent now) prize money.

Sara probably makes half of what Ryan makes.

Wow, this is way less than I thought...

It's just a guess. I assume he makes a lot from appearance fee money into 6 figures total. What do you think he makes?

Even though my knees no longer allow me to run, I still love to keep up on what’s going on in American distance running, and this is the best site hands down. However, I am still disheartened and blown away at the level of hate carelessly spewed on these threads facadeing itself in some seemingly clever manner. Acting is if a snarky cheap shot to a pro is both original and internet courageous. And it is amazingly consistent, back in the day it was Webb, then Rupp, now Ryan Hall is the fodder for people to shower their infinite appetite to vent their own personal misery and bitterness on. I guess I just expected more from the running community, none of my teammates in high school or college exuded the petty baseness posted on this site at times.

Hall is what he is so just deal with it. Frustrated with him over what could have been? Okay, I get that. You want to be pissed at him for a DNF, fair game. Hell, he might have done himself a favor by finishing a 2:30, but I am not a professional runner and can respect him simply trying to make a living. But enough with the religious intolerance, it is delusional! His faith is his faith, and it seems genuine. The guy runs a charity to fight global poverty; this has to be some kind of outward expression of some deeper love and concern for humanity. But I guess that doesn’t matter if you are so jaded by your own subjective bias and hate, how foolish and sad. Drinking poison and hoping others get sick from it…

Here’s a crazy thought, actually support our American runners going up against the world’s best or at least have some realistic expectations for them. Hall’s runs in Houston, NYC, London, and Boston were historic, and simply awe-inspiring to watch. Athletes have off days, fall out of their prime, lose their edge, so what…They still thrilled us at times and that’s enough. Hall’s best days are behind him, but he may have a little something in the tank if Rojo is right and he really has learned from his mistakes. Still a fan and I hope he gathers enough fire to go out on a higher note. But if not, thanks for the memories Ryan.

I think that Hall still has the talent to run 2:08 on any given day but he needs to start acting like an athlete that really wants it. I don't think that a DNF is the end of the world for a marathoner that is simply trying to get a qualifier and only has so much time to get one done, but he's really losing credibility with all the DNFs that he's been having with comments like "the pace was too fast", "I just wasn't feeling it", etc. He's a professional and he needs to know what he can expect when he toes the starting line. If he goes out too fast he needs to realize it early and adjust. There was no reason he shouldn't have just run with the Americans competing with each other and simply worry about faster times in other, cooler temp events (I realize though he didn't know what the conditions would be when he agreed to run). He should have easily been able to run 1:07/1:06 that day.

Also, he needs to be mindful of his sponsors (mainly ASICS) that are paying him a lot of money. If he were with Nike they would have dropped him by now. There was no one else in the men's field that was making a great living off running and so had to fight for every spot in order to just continue making a enough of a living to continue with it as a career. Ryan continues to live comfortably off only appearance fees. I am afraid he may have just grown too complacent. I have no problem with his faith, but he should not keep bringing it into the spotlight as a justification for not performing well and being OK with it. He should be a better role model.

Those are all fair points, and I agree with a lot of that, with a few exceptions.

People are disgruntled because they care and because they're fans. They want him to succeed and they're frustrated because he was so close and at the height of his success, completely 180's his approach and re-directs his focus.

At the end of the day, if Ryan is happy being who he is and what he's done, more power to you. I'd never knock a guy for doing what makes him happy. What I will knock is when you're clearly misrepresenting yourself as a professional to fuel other interests.

It's one thing to keep running races because you love it, and other to strategically represent yourself as being at the highest level to command a fee, knowing full well you're not at that level but doing it anyway, so you can fuel your foundation. It might be well intentioned, but at the cost of some professional integrity.

East Coast West Coast wrote:

He should be a better role model.

He's a bad role model because he is content and loves God? He doesn't owe you anything. No, really. He really owes you nothing.

Ryan....shut up

East Coast West Coast wrote:

He should be a better role model.

Neutral Observertard wrote:

He's a bad role model because he is content and loves God?

Because he's a total nut case.

Right :: wrote:

East Coast West Coast wrote:

He should be a better role model.

Neutral Observertard wrote:

He's a bad role model because he is content and loves God?

Because he's a total nut case.

Says the guy who crying to strangers on a message board.

No, I see. He certainly owes Asics an apology for the DNFs, they are the ones paying for the good representation with the good faith that he will perform. He owes them a finish regardless of how he might feel that day or how irresponsibly he runs. There is egg on his face, no question, but to say he knows full well that he isn't on that level might be a stretch.I still feel on some level that some of that same reckless aggressiveness that people are commenting on was the same reckless aggressiveness that gave him his unreal performances. He believed he could run with the best, and he did it. Obviously, a little misguided at the moment but I still don't count this guy out. People gave up on Meb and then he went and won NYC out of nowhere. I guess the real takeaway from all the on-lookers is to look at him and say, more than anything, this guy needs a coach before it's too late. It's hard to imagine, training and racing at this level without someone from the outside chiming in. Giving you the right word when you need it, pushing you, challenging you, sharpening you. All the greats have great coaches and to think you don't need one is where he is mislead. I just wonder if he could actually afford one? Or get somebody that really could help him? I just don't know enough about what assets he has at his disposal...

if you drop out without an injury, have you really done the best you can? At any rate, it is okay for elite marathoners to drop out of a bad marathon to get money at another one without wasting a whole training period.

Just found this, he does have a coach. Hopefully after LA, Jack can turn him around. He certainly has the credentials...

http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/ryan-hall-now-being-coached-by-jack-daniels?page=single

I AM SOOO EMBARRASSED.

Clever