Ladies and gentlemen I think we are witnessing the next American sub-60 half marathoner. I mean, look at Jim’s history and trajectory. Sometimes it takes a little obscurity to do something amazing. Nothing about his PR’s say he couldn’t improve to break one hour.
Ryan Hall didn’t always follow the rules and he broke 60 and holds the American record. There is no one out there that can compete with it except Jim in my opinion. He has the tools, mindset, and training to do it. Jim’s the closest thing to Ryan Hall since Ryan Hall.
I’m not saying he breaks it in Houston, I’m saying more like 1:02:02, but that’s his first one. I think he’ll get some publicity after this and break 60 on his third half marathon once he gets a coach and is able to focus on it.
As Americans we need to hope and pray Jim does this. We need a figure like Jim, who can transcend disciplines and gain the publicity and handle it like no one else. It’s evident that all these other 2:12 marathoners couldn’t handle the pressure because he don’t improve once breaking into the scene. Jim can handle that.