Meb says, "Don't count Ryan Hall out"

That Hall is in the Trials conversation reflects the dire state of US marathon ing.

Hall wont make the top 10.

cold hard truth wrote:

Agreed. You'd have to be an idiot to count Ryan out. When he's on, he's the best male marathoner we have.

Best we have? RIGHT NOW?

And when is the last time he's been "on"

He's done nothing lately to indicate fitness to get top 3 at the Trials

Hall runs well when he looks to be feeling fantastic. He's not like Ritz, who can grind out a decent race while feeling a little subpar. Plus, with an NCAA 5000m as an exception, Hall can only beat competition by dusting them. If it's close, he usually loses.

All of these are not good, if he cannot run 2:07 anymore- and he hasn't in years.

Hall has run 59 and 2:06 (setting Boston aside), so if one has designs on making the Olympic team, one would be foolish to count him out. On the other hand, Hall has not been a national class runner for the last four years, so the odds that he'll be in the running for a spot are not even good, much less great. And if Meb and Ritz are healthy and well on race day--neither one is a given, of course--everyone else is competing for one spot.

Jared Ward will vying for that 3rd spot.

Montesquieu wrote:

Hall has run 59 and 2:06 (setting Boston aside), so if one has designs on making the Olympic team, one would be foolish to count him out. On the other hand, Hall has not been a national class runner for the last four years, so the odds that he'll be in the running for a spot are not even good, much less great. And if Meb and Ritz are healthy and well on race day--neither one is a given, of course--everyone else is competing for one spot.

Huh... wrote:

Halleluja wrote:

Good call.

Besides Hall, Meb is the only runner on the team who is a true believer int the power of Jesus Christ, son of god.

He knows everything is possible (e.g. NYCM and Boston wins) if you put your trust in his hands and put the work in on the road.

In the end, the Kenyans can run as much as they want but Ryan and Meb will always have that edge.

And at the end of days, they will be saved, while others will not.

Just my 2ct.

Aside from all of the other mumbo jumbo you wrote, what makes you think none of the Kenyans are Christian?

Also . . . Ritz is a devout Catholic (I think a lot of the Salazar guys are). Many of the Ethiopians and Eritreans (Meb's background) are Orthodox. This is why you often see the sign of the cross at the finish line.

Meb said:

I’m not in Ryan’s head, but we know what he is capable of doing.

What Meb really means here is that Ryan has become a lunatic who will never run fast again despite his physical capability to do it.

Granted anything can happen in a marathon...this is what I think the team will be.

1. Meb

2. Ward

3. Ritz

Dingler wrote:

Who Else Is There wrote:

Hall does even have to be nearly as good as he used to be to make the 2016 team. A 2:10:30 will probably make it.

This is exactly his problem. He needs to realize he doesn't need to be a 2:05-2:06 guy to make the team. This goes for the race itself (not going out at a pace he can't handle like in LA) but also in training; not killing himself trying to hit the same volume and intensity as when he was in his prime. He's the same as Ritz; as long as he can get to the starting line uninjured, he's talented enough that he can beat almost any other Americans even is he's only at 90-95% fitness.

I agree, but can't help wonder if Ryan just doesn't care about that. He's already run 2:04/2:06 and made some teams. It may be the only thing left interesting is major/olympic wins or podiums. Going in Ritz style isn't likely to get him that.

Meb is a nice guy. He would probably say not to count anybody out as long as they are in the race.

Actually talent does fade and this can be for both physical and mental reasons. Do you think Gebresellasie could run 2:04 again just by going back to training? Paula a 2:17? Everyone has a lifetime peak. It often correlates to the time when you can withstand the toughest training. Hall has abandoned almost every idea that the top runners use to achieve success. No coach or he hires one but does not listen. He starts races at a pace he can't maintain. He quits races when it starts to get tough. He breaks himself in training then can't get more than a few miles in the Olympics. It is a sad spectacle. There are many American marathoners on the way up and it is their time now.