Who is Ryan Hall

"Joining Team World Vision was an answer to our prayer. Now we have something very tangible that we are fighting for out on the track, roads, or grass: to help the sick, orphaned, and poor all over the world." --Ryan Hall on joining Team World Vision

Ryan and Sara Hall have joined with World Vision to use their running to make a global impact. They are raising funds for communities in need, specifically those communities in Africa with children and families impacted by AIDS. And you, too, can join them by signing up for Team World Vision and raising funds through your running!

If you would like to join Ryan and Sara on Team World Vision, you can click here.

Or, if you'd just like to donate to their cause, click here.

"I have a feeling the runners who are running sub 13:00 5Ks aren't caught up in thinking how fast 62s are, they just go out there and run gutsy races." --Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall grew up in Big Bear Lake, California. Big Bear Lake lies at 6,700 feet elevation, a fact to which Hall attributes some of his aerobic abilities. His father was a triathlete, but Ryan never found much interest in triathlons. He did, however, take to running and quickly rose to become a high school star.

Ryan won the Division IV State Cross Country championships both his junior and senior years. His junior year, he opted not to compete in the prestigious Footlocker Cross Country Championships. His senior year he rewrote the record books at the prestigious Mt. SAC course, en route to finishing 3rd behind Dathan Ritzenhein and Alan Webb at the Footlocker meet.

On the track, Hall was equally successful. He won the State two-mile race his junior year in a time of 8:55.03. He also won the National Scholastic Mile that same year in a time of 4:06.15. His senior year, he won the 1600m in a California state meet record time of 4:02.62. He had the 2nd fastest time in the country for 1600m at 4:00.52, and he ran the 3rd fastest prep time ever for the 1500m when he clocked 3:42.70 at the Peregrine Systems U.S. Open at Stanford that summer.

Hall had an up-and-down career at Stanford University. He started off with a bang by winning his first cross country meet at the Murray Keatinge Invitational in Bangor, Maine. He finished 3rd in the short course race at the Stanford Invitational, and helped Stanford to win the PAC-10 Championship in his final race of the season. Hall redshirted in track and field that year.

The 2002 cross country season saw Ryan win the 4k short course at the Stanford Invitational (11:49) and the Notre Dame Invitational Blue Race (24:10 - 8k). He placed 8th at the PAC-10 Championships and 9th at the NCAA West Regional, earning first team all-PAC-10 honors. He capped off the season by finishing 37th at the NCAA Championship meet and being named All-American for the first time.

His 2003 track campaign saw him run a season best of 3:43.37, slightly slower than his prep best. He qualified to the PAC-10 and West Region finals in the 1500m.

Ryan had a very successful cross country season in 2003. He won the Stanford Invitational short course, placed 2nd at the Pre-NCAA meet and the NCAA West Regional meet. He capped the season with a 2nd place finish (behind Dathan Ritzenhein) at the 2003 NCAA Cross Country Championships, leading Stanford to a team victory. He was named the PAC-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year and earned his second All-American designation.

Ryan suffered from numerous injuries in his 2004 track season, but he did run a notable 13:45 in the 5000m at the Mt. SAC Relays.

In Ryan's final cross country season, he started the year strong but finished with disappointment. He won the Pre-NCAA meet, 2nd at the PAC-10 Championships, and won the NCAA West Regional. Unfortunately, he faltered to a disappointing 26th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Hall finally broke out on the track in 2005. He finished 6th at the Mt. SAC Relays 5000m (13:31.58), and 2nd at the PAC-10 5000m (13:37.45). He then blasted a 13:22.32 school record to win the NCAA Championships 5000m by less than a second over teammate Ian Dobson. Later in the summer, Hall finished 3rd at the US Outdoor Track Championships 5000m in a personal best 13:16.03, qualifying for his first Track and Field World Championships meet. He defeated future US 5k ace Matt Tegenkamp in both races. He finished the year ranked No. 5 at 5000m by Track and Field News.

Ryan graduated from Stanford with a BA in Sociology in 2006. He also met and married his college teammate Sara Bei while at Stanford."

Sources: Wikipedia, USATF

"I definitely don't put a world record outside of my reach. I think it's possible." --Ryan Hall

Ryan won his first major cross country title when he captured the men's long course national crown at the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships at historic Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx, N.Y. Ryan won going away with a 27-second margin over the rest of the field. He said of the race, "It was probably the most fun race of my life. It's my first 12k. I thought that I would make a move and see who would go, and maybe if I get a gap, then keep going." The win qualified Ryan to compete at the World Cross Country Championships in Japan, where he placed 43rd.

Later the same year, Ryan won the Great Cow Harbor 10k Run in Northport, New York, setting a new course record of 28:22. Ryan then set his first American record when he ran 57:54 for 20k on October 8 at the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. The time was 48 seconds faster than the previous record, set by Abdi Abdirahman in 2005.

Ryan set another American record and earned a national title on January 14, 2007, when he won the men's U.S. Half Marathon National Championship in 59:43, becoming the first American to break the one-hour barrier at that distance. His performance was 1:12 faster than the previous American record by Mark Curp that had stood for 21 years, and makes him the 13th fastest performer in the world at the half marathon distance. The performance is the 15th fastest all-time, and the 9th fastest on a legal course.

Ryan showed signs of becoming a future Olympic marathoner when he made his marathon debut in style, finishing seventh at the 2007 Flora London Marathon in 2:08:24. Ryan's time was the fastest ever debut marathon for an American man by 1:16, and it made him the fastest American-born marathoner ever.

At the 2007 Olympic Trials - Men's Marathon, Hall tamed what had been thought of as a slow and very difficult course, breaking the Olympic Trials record with his winning time of 2:09:02. His second half time of 1:02:45 was also the fastest half-marathon ever recorded in New York's Central Park. He will be joining Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Most recently, Hall finished 5th (35:50) at the USA 12k Cross Country Championships in San Diego, California. He did not compete in the World Cross Country Championships, however, as he wanted to focus on preparing to run the Flora London Marathon.

On April 13, Ryan ran a 2:06:17 to finish fifth in the London Marathon. His time was a two-minute personal best. It also made him the 17th fastest marathoner ever, the second-fastest American marathoner ever (behind Khalid Khannouchi) and the fastest American-born marathoner ever. It was the 23rd fastest marathon performance of all-time.

On May 26, Ryan ran the Bolder Boulder 10k, finishing 14th in a time of 30:07. He chose not to run any more warm-up races before the Olympic marathon on August 24th. At that marathon, Ryan ran 2:12:33 to finish 10th, one spot behind Dathan Ritzenhein (2:11:59).

Ryan won the Gasparilla 15k in 43:26 as a tune-up for Boston. Ryan then finished 3rd at the Boston Marathon running 2:09:40, after leading the pack through a scintillating first 5k (14:33). In his first race of the summer, Ryan ran 62:35 to take 3rd at the NYC Half Marathon. He then ran 61:52 to win the ING Philadelphia Distance Run. He then finished 4th at the NYC Marathon, running 2:10:36.

Sources: Wikipedia, USATF

01. 01. 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Berlin, 09/28/2008
02. ---- 2:04:26 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Berlin, 09/30/2007
03. 02. 2:04:27 Duncan Kipkemboi Kibet (KEN) Rotterdam, 04/05/2009
04. 03. 2:04:27 James Kipsang Kwambai (KEN) Rotterdam, 04/05/2009
05. ---- 2:04:53 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Dubai, 01/18/2008
06. 04. 2:04:55 Paul Tergat (KEN) Berlin, 09/28/2003
07. 05. 2:04:56 Sammy Korir (KEN) Berlin, 09/28/2003
08. 06. 2:05:04 Abel Kirui (KEN) Rotterdam, 04/05/2009
09. 07. 2:05:10 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) London, 04/26/2009
10. 08. 2:05:15 Martin Lel (KEN) London, 04/13/2008
11. 09. 2:05:20 Tsegaye Kebede (ETH) London, 04/26/2009
12. ---- 2:05:24 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) London, 04/13/2008
13. 10. 2:05:27 Jaouad Gharib (MAR) London, 04/26/2009
14. ---- 2:05:29 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Dubai, 01/16/2009
15. 11. 2:05:30 Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) London, 04/13/2008
16. ---- 2:05:36 James Kipsang Kwambai (KEN) Berlin, 09/28/2008
17. 12. 2:05:38 Khalid Khannouchi (USA) London, 04/14/2002
18. ---- 2:05:42 Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) Chicago, 10/24/1999
19. 13. 2:05:47 Vincent Limo (KEN) Paris, 04/05/2009
20. ---- 2:05:48 Paul Tergat (KEN) London, 04/14/2002
21. 14. 2:05:49 William Kipsang (KEN) Rotterdam, 04/13/2008
22. 15. 2:05:50 Evans Rutto (KEN) Chicago, 10/12/2003
23. ---- 2:05:56 Khalid Khannouchi (USA) Chicago, 10/13/2002
24. ---- 2:05:56 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Berlin, 09/24/2006
25. 16. 2:06:05 Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) Berlin, 09/20/1998
26. ---- 2:06:10 Tsegaye Kebede (ETH) Fukuoka, 12/07/2008
27. 17. 2:06:14 Felix Limo (KEN) Rotterdam, 04/04/2004
27. 17. 2:06:14 Patrick Makau (KEN) Rotterdam, 04/05/2009
29. 19. 2:06:15 Titus Munji (KEN) Berlin, 09/28/2003
29. 19. 2:06:15 Bazu Worku Hayla (ETH) Paris, 04/05/2009
31. 21. 2:06:16 Emmanuel Mutai (KEN) London, 04/13/2008
31. 21. 2:06:16 Moses Tanui (KEN) Chicago, 10/24/1999
31. 21. 2:06:16 Daniel Njenga (KEN) Chicago, 10/13/2002
31. 21. 2:06:16 Toshinari Takaoka (JPN) Chicago, 10/13/2002
31. ---- 2:06:16 Evans Rutto (KEN) Chicago, 10/10/2004
36. 25. 2:06:17 Ryan Hall (USA) London, 04/13/2008

And some interesting stats to put this into perspective:

--2:06:17 makes Ryan the 25th fastest marathoner, all-time
--2:06:17 puts Ryan just 50 seconds behind #10, all-time
--2:06:17 makes Ryan the third-fastest non-African marathoner ever (behind Brazil's Roberto da Costa and Japan's Toshinari Takaoka)
--2:06:17 makes Ryan the second-fastest American marathoner ever (behind Khalid Khannouchi's 2:05:38)
--2:06:17 is the 3rd fastest American performance ever
--2:06:17 makes Ryan the fastest American-born marathoner ever
--2:06:17 is almost 2-and-a-half minutes faster than any American not named Khalid Khannouchi. Put another way, Ryan would put half a mile on some of the greatest American marathon performances ever. Put yet another way, Ryan would be at least halfway through a ham-and-pineapple pizza (his favorite - he's from California) when the shades of Kempainen, Salazar and Beardsley crossed the line.
--2:06:17 is just 20 seconds slower than Haile Gebrselassie ran in his 3rd marathon
--2:06:17 is a better PB than those owned by perennial Major contenders Cheruiyot, Ramaala, Ivuti, and Baldini
--2:06:17 is 24 seconds FASTER than Martin Lel - arguably the top marathoner in the world, at the moment - had ever run before London '08
--2:06:17 makes Ryan absolutely, without-a-doubt, the best marathoner in the country right now...hands down

Sources: The Final Sprint, Runnerville, Optimal Training (photo by Victah Sailer)

Individual Championships

1999 California State Cross Country Champion
2000 California State Championships 3200m (8:55.12)
2000 California State Cross Country Champion
2001 California State Championships 1600m (4:02.62SR)
2004 NCAA West Regional Cross Country Champion
2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships 5000m (13:22)
2006 USA 12k Cross Country Champion
2006 USA Half-Marathon Champion
2006 Great Cow Harbor 10k (28:22CR)
2007 Aramco Houston Half-Marathon (59:43AR)
2007 US Olympic Trials Marathon Champion (2:09:02)

Personal Records

3:42.7 - 1500m - Palo Alto (2001)
13:16.03 - 5000m - Carson (2005)
28:07.93 - 10,000m - Palo Alto (2007)
43:23 - 15,000m - Tampa (2009)
57:54 - 20,000m - Debrecen (2006)
59:43AR - half-marathon - Houston (2007)
1:13:47 - 25,000m - London (2008 - unofficial AR)
1:28:38 - 30,000m - London (2008 - unofficial AR)
2:06:17 - marathon - London (2008)

Sources: Ryan Hall 2008, Wikipedia, Nate Jenkins' blog

Marathon

1. 2:05:38 - Khalid Khannouchi - London (2002)
2. 2:06:17 - Ryan Hall - London (2008)
3. 2:08:47 - Bob Kempainen - Boston (1994)
4. 2:08:51 - Alberto Salazar - Boston (1982)
5. 2:08:53 - Dick Beardsley - Boston (1982)
6. 2:08:56 - Abdi Abdirahman - Chicago (2006)
7. 2:09:00 - Greg Meyer - Boston (1983)
8. 2:09:15 - Meb Keflezighi - New York City (2009)
9. 2:09:27 - Bill Rodgers - Boston (1979)
10. 2:09:31 - Ron Tabb - Boston (1983)
11. 2:09:32 - David Morris - Chicago (1999)
12. 2:09:35 - Jerry Lawson - Chicago (1997)
13. 2:09:38 - Ken Martin - New York City (1989)
14. 2:09:41 - Alan Culpepper - Chicago (2002)
15. 2:09:57 - Benji Durden - Boston (1983)

Half Marathon

1. 59:43 - Ryan Hall - Houston (2007)
2. 1:00:00 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Birmingham (2009)
3. 1:00:55 - Mark Curp - Philadelphia (1985)
4. 1:01:00 - Meb Keflezighi - San Jose (2009)
5. 1:01:07 - Abdi Abdirahman - Philadelphia (2006)
6. 1:01:17 - Khalid Khannouchi - Philadelphia (2000)
7. 1:01:30 - Keith Brantly - Philadelphia (1993)
8. 1:01:32 - Paul Cummings - Dayton (1983)
9. 1:01:43 - George Malley - Philadelphia (1982)
10. 1:01:47 - Herb Lindsay - Manchester (1981)
10. 1:01:47 - Bill Reifsnyder - Philadelphia (1985)
11. 1:01:47 - Jon Sinclair - Philadelphia (1985)
12. 1:01:52 - Todd Williams - Orlando (1981)
13. 1:01:57 - Bruce Bickford - Philadelphia (1986)

10,000 meters

1. 27:13.98 - Meb Keflezighi - Palo Alto (2001)
2. 27:16.99 - Abdi Abdirahman - Eugene (2008)
3. 27:20.56 - Mark Nenow - Brussels (1986)
4. 27:22.28 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Berlin (2009)
5. 27:25.61 - Alberto Salazar - Oslo (1982)
6. 27:29.16 - Craig Virgin - Paris (1980)
7. 27:31.34 - Todd Williams - Knoxville (1995)
8. 27:33.48 - Galen Rupp - Palo Alto (2007)
9. 27:33.93 - Alan Culpepper - Palo Alto (2001)
10. 27:34.72 - Alan Webb - Palo Alto (2006)
11. 27:36.99 - Tim Nelson - Palo Alto (2009)
12. 27:37.17 - Bruce Bickford - Stockholm (1985)
13. 27:37.45 - Bob Kennedy - Palo Alto (2004)
14. 27:37.74 - Anthony Famiglietti - Palo Alto (2006)
15. 27:41.05 - Ed Eyestone - Walnut (1985)
16. 27:42.15 - Dan Browne - Palo Alto (2004)
NR. 28:07.93 - Ryan Hall - Palo Alto (2007)

5,000 meters

1. 12:56.27 - Dathan Ritzenhein - Zurich (2009)
2. 12:58.21 - Bob Kennedy - Zurich (1996)
3. 12:58.56 - Matt Tegenkamp - Brussels (2009)
4. 12:59.22 - Bernard Lagat - London (2006)
5. 13:01.15 - Sydney Maree - Oslo (1985)
6. 13:10.00 - Adam Goucher - Heusden-Zolder (2006)
7. 13:10.86 - Alan Webb - Berlin (2005)
8. 13:11.77 - Meb Keflezighi - Heusden-Zolder (2000)
8. 13:11.77 - Tim Broe - Oslo (2005)
10. 13:11.93 - Alberto Salazar - Stockholm (1982)
10. 13:11.93 - Anthony Famiglietti - Walnut (2007)
12. 13:12.24 - Chris Solinsky - Heusden-Zolder (2007)
13. 13:12.91 - Matt Centrowitz - Eugene (1982)
14. 13:13.32 - Abdi Abdirahman - London (2005)
15. 13:13.49 - Bruce Bickford - Oslo (1985)
NR. 13:16.03 - Ryan Hall - Carson (2005)

Source: All-Time Athletics, Malmo

The "Move a Million Miles for Ryan Hall" campaign was started in Big Bear Lake, Ryan's hometown, following his victory at the US Olympic Marathon Trials. As it says on the campaign's website:

"Through shared pride and support for Ryan, this spirit initiative encourages an engaged and active lifestyle, as well as demonstrates the benefits of integrity, commitment and involvement to our youth. Not only is this the first time anyone has ever pledged this kind of support for an athlete, but it also is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to personally participate in the Olympic Dream. You can be part of this historic effort and make a healthy difference in both your life and the lives of others. Participation is simple, and we don't need your money - just your miles."

You can join in the support by logging your miles here!

Update: the "move"ment has well surpassed it's goal of 1,000,000 miles! Congratulations to all who participated!