New to the marathon, but one of the best America has ever seen:

Will Ryan Hall bring American distance running to the next level on November 3?

By Cecil Harris

He could do for marathon running what Tiger Woods has done for golf or what Roger Federer has done for tennis: elevate the sport to a new level, bringing more spectators to the events and more eyeballs to television sets. Indeed, after the U.S. Olympic Trials – Men’s Marathon, he could become as synonymous with his sport as Woods and Federer are with theirs. The expectations for Ryan Hall are so high because the talent is so impressive, the potential so great.

Hall’s debut at 26.2 miles, at the Flora London Marathon on April 22, was nothing short of brilliant. Serving notice that there is a new force in the sport, Hall ran a 2:08:24, shattering the record for the fastest marathon debut by an American (2:09:41) that had been jointly held by Alberto Salazar (New York, 1980) and Alan Culpepper (Chicago, 2002).

“It’s pretty exciting,” Hall said in London. “I always wanted to be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys.”

Hall’s time did not result from being carried along by a star-studded field that included world record-holder Paul Tergat of Kenya, eventual winner Martin Lel of Kenya, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, Jaouad Gharib of Morocco and fellow Americans Meb Keflezighi and Khalid Khannouchi. He actually led much of the race. He was leading just before the 22-mile mark and was still in the lead pack with barely a mile to go. Then, inexperience caused him to lose contact with the leaders and he finished seventh.

“I dreamed about being with those guys for 23 miles,” he said after his debut, “and I did that today. Hopefully, I’ll be a bit stronger next time and run a bit smarter.”

Woods and Federer both showed they belonged among the elite early in their careers. Both showed they were destined for greatness. Hall, who turns 25 on October 14, did the same.

When Hall takes on America’s best in the Trials Central Park, he’ll attempt to fulfill a dream. “With the Olympics coming up so quick, I really want to take a swing at a medal,” he said. “If I’m going to do that, my best shot is going to be in the marathon.”

Hall will face the world’s best in Beijing if he proves himself to be one of America’s three best at the Trials. The native of Big Bear Lake, CA, has the physique at 5’10’’ and 130 pounds and the determination. And his peers know he’s capable of rising to the occasion and giving America a new sports idol. “His performance at the Flora London Marathon was just astounding,” fellow Olympic Trials qualifier James Carney said.

Americans will pay attention on November 3. They’ll be eager to see if the former high school prodigy and Stanford University All-American is ready to take the next big step. In early 2006, Hall had not run a race longer than 7.5 miles. Now, he is the American record-holder in the half-marathon—59:43 to win the USA Half-Marathon Championships in Houston on January 14. Now, he is the third-fastest American marathoner of all time behind Alberto Salazar and Khannouchi. (Since becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000, the Moroccan-born Khannouchi has run four marathons faster than Hall’s 2:08:24. Hall’s time is the fastest ever by an American-born runner.)

“While my debut went as well as I could have hoped, I remain hungry for more,” Hall wrote in a blog for Runner’s World. “Now, I know that I was made for the marathon and that there is so much more in me. In London, I got a small taste of what is possible. I want to be even fitter and more ready to go for [the Trials].”

Among those helping Hall prepare are his wife, Sara, a former Stanford All-American, whom he married in 2005; Terrence Mahon, his coach since he graduated from Stanford in 2005; Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist, and Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic women’s marathon bronze medalist. Training with Keflezighi and Kastor in California has benefited Hall in areas ranging from strategy, to having the proper diet and mental approach, to timing his fluid intake during a race.

“He wants to break records,” Mahon said. “He wants to be an Olympic medalist. He’s not afraid. And he shows that in the training.”

Hall wrote in his blog, “One thing that I love about the marathon is that it really is a team effort. I had observed this watching Deena train for her marathons, but it wasn’t until I had been through it myself that I realized how important it is to have a supportive spouse, teammates, and a great coach. The success of my marathon debut was a tribute to the support of my wife, coach, teammates, and friends. It wasn’t just me running out there.”

The Halls are devout Christians. Faith could play a part in what Ryan Hall becomes, in whether he becomes the Woods or Federer of marathon running. He told MensRacing.com in 2005, “I really do try and run to make God smile and to give Him pleasure. My favorite times in running are when I am running and just pouring myself out on the track, going all out for Him. I feel like I am doing what God created me to do. There is no better feeling than that.”