2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon

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The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's Marathon started in semi-darkness in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.	The race showcased the talents of more than 100 of the best male distance runners in the country, who qualified by meeting time standards in the marathon, 10,000m, or 5000m.	Michael Wardian moved to the front as the runners passed through Times Square on their way to Central Park, where they would run multiple loops on undulating roads.	Brian Sell led a chase pack in the early miles. He led the 2004 Trials race for 14 miles before fading to finish 12th, but has since learned patience and smart pacing.
A lead pack of (l-r) Dan Browne, Ryan Hall, Abdi Abdirahman, Meb Keflezighi, and Dathan Ritzenhein worked together in the middle miles. The top three Trials finishers make the Olympic team.	After a 1:06:17 first half, Hall began to press the pace. By 18 miles, he was clear of the field and racing only against the clock.	Ritzenhein, who won the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park in course-record time, held steady in second place despite some leg cramping in the late stages.	Sell worked his way through the field, eventually passing Dan Browne in the 23rd mile to move into third place.
Hall crossed the line in 2:09:02, setting a Trials record. This was just his second marathon; he ran an American debut record time of 2:08:24 in London in April.	Ritzenhein, the runner-up in 2:11:07, was running his second marathon as well; his first was the ING New York City Marathon 2006, where he finished 11th in 2:14:01.	Sell grabbed the third and final Olympic team spot with his 2:11:40 finish; he is the star runner of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project team.	Khalid Khannouchi, the American record-holder and former world record-holder, has fought injury for much of the past two years. He finished fourth in 2:12:34.
Surprise fifth-place finisher Jason Lehmkuhle ran nearly a four-minute PR (2:12:54); he had only the 47th fastest qualifying time.	Dan Browne, who represented the U.S. in the marathon and 10,000m in Athens in 2004, was sixth today in 2:13:23.	Nate Jenkins broke through to finish seventh in 2:14:56.	Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, suffered cramps in the late stages and finished eighth in 2:15:09.
Running his first marathon, Josh Rohatinsky finished ninth in 2:15:22.	Jason Hartmann rounded out the top 10 with his 2:15:27 finish.	Hall's performance secures his status in the top echelons of world marathoning and makes him a medal contender in Beijing.	The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's Marathon top three (l-r): Brian Sell (third), Ryan Hall (first), Dathan Ritzenhein (second).