OK, I was correct in predicting that Ryan Hall would be the first person born in the United States to break 2:08 in the marathon this morning in London. That much was a given based on how well Hall was training and his times in the first two marathons he ran.
The fact is Hall's 2:09:02 over a difficult course in New York City for the Olympic Trials last November was worth at least two minutes on any other course.
But today in London Hall let it all out. Not only was he the first American-born runner to break 2:08 in the marathon, but he also is the first American-born runner to break 2:07 by checking in with a 2:06:15.
Yeah... 2:06.
Pennsylvanian Brian Sell is heading to the Olympics for the United States this August and he hasn't gone under 2:10. Sell is as tough and gritty a runner in the world, but, geez... 2:06!
Get this -- he finished fifth in the race. Fifth! He went out on world-record pace through the first half, set an American record for 25k during the race, faded to sixth place for a stretch before re-grouping to dive back into the lead pack with less than 5 miles to go in the race.
Martin Lel, the defending champ of the New York City Marathon, won the London race in a course-record 2:05:15.
Nevertheless, before the race defending Olympian champion Stefano Baldini said of Hall: "He is the future."
He's just 25, still hasn't reached his prime years for an endurance athlete and has the Olympics coming up in August in dirty Beijing...
What's next?
P.S. Hall's coach is local dude, Terrence Mahon, an all-American from Villanova.