by Larry Eder
U.S. Olympian Ryan Hall to Compete in ASICS LA Marathon and USATF Marathon Championships
LOS ANGELES — LA MARATHON LLC announced today that U.S. Olympian Ryan Hall will join the elite field as part of the 2015 USA Track & Field Marathon Championships, which will take place on March 15 within the 30th edition of the ASICS LA Marathon. Hall will run the “Stadium to the Sea” course for the first time in his home state of California, vying for a combined total prize purse of $260,000, and will serve as race Ambassador.
Hall, the fastest American ever in the Marathon with a time of 2:04:58, will compete in the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships as a runway to prepare for 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for men and women on February 13, 2016 in Los Angeles. Eleven months after the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships, America’s best distance runners will return to Los Angeles for the Trials, competing for a record $600,000 prize purse, and a place on the U.S. Olympic team
“I’m thrilled to run the iconic Stadium to Sea course for my first time as an opportunity to compete in my home state against the nation’s most premiere athletes in the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships,” said Hall. “Last year, I was involved in race weekend activities through my relationship with ASICS and was inspired to run this year by the stellar elite field, operational excellence and enthusiastic local support of the ASICS LA Marathon.”
In his role as race Ambassador, Hall will use his star power as one of America’s most decorated runners to help ignite nationwide excitement and participation in the 30th edition of the ASICS LA Marathon.
For the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships, Hall and his competitors will vie for a total prize purse of $150,000, which will be equally divided between American men and women for winning or placing in the top 15. American runners competing for the Championship will also be eligible for the $110,000 prize purse that is awarded to the overall winners of the ASICS LA Marathon.
“It’s a distinct pleasure to announce Ryan Hall’s participation in the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships,” said Tracey Russell, Chief Executive of LA MARATHON LLC. “Ryan’s longstanding history as one of America’s top marathoners, combined with his California roots, truly highlights the outstanding legacy of running in Los Angeles.”
The USATF Marathon Championships were last held in Los Angeles in 1994 for men, when Paul Pilkington ran 2:12:13 to claim the national title.
In 2007, Hall made the fastest marathon debut by any American with 2:08:24. In 2008, he won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in a record 2:09:02 in New York qualifying to run the marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Hall finished in second in the 2012 Olympic Team Trials Houston, Texas with a time of 2:09:30, securing his spot on his second Olympic team. With a time of 59:43, Hall is also the American record holder for the Half Marathon.
About LA Marathon LLC
LA MARATHON LLC, a subsidiary of McCourt Global, creates world-class experiences that ignite passion in athletes and connect communities through the transformative power of sports. The ASICS LA Marathon is among the largest marathons in the country with more than 25,000 participants, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The “Stadium to the Sea” course, starting at Dodger Stadium and finishing near the Santa Monica Pier, is one of the most scenic in the world, taking runners on a tour of Los Angeles past every major landmark. LA MARATHON LLC will host the 2016 Olympic Team Trials for Men’s and Women’s Marathon, awarded by USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee, which will take place in Los Angeles February 13, 2016. For more information, please visitwww.lamarathon.com.
