by Larry Eder
Ryan Hall runs through Wellesley, Boston 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Ryan Hall has decided not to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 10, citing fatigue. His sub-par performance at ING Philly (1:03:58), and two weeks of disappointing workouts were cited as indications of fatigue. Hall noted that if he could not perform well, and he had to face the reality of the situation, he was not doing himself or his fans any good.
Ryan Hall, Boston 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.
While we would love to see Ryan Hall race, we applaud his honesty and the support of the Bank of America Chicago race director Carey Pinkowski. Race Directors have interesting jobs, and Carey knows that one day, when Ryan is fit, he will see Hall on the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course gunning for the AR.
RBR wishes Ryan Hall a return to good health and great racing!
Ryan Hall Issues Statement about Withdrawal from the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
CHICAGO – U.S.
Olympian Ryan Hall has withdrawn from the 2010 Bank of America Chicago
Marathon citing fatigue. Hall finished 14th at the Philadelphia Half
Marathon on September 19, nearly four minutes outside of his American
record. After a series of subpar workouts, Hall made the difficult
decision to formally withdraw from the competition. In April, Hall had
targeted the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as his best opportunity
to challenge the American record of 2:05:38.
“I
have made the very difficult decision to withdraw from the 2010 Bank of
America Chicago Marathon,” said Hall. “Perhaps I was a bit too eager to
capitalize on the lightning fast course, atmosphere, and history of the
event in my race preparations, causing me to over-train and suffer from
perpetual fatigue. I am committed to excellence, and if I am not fully
ready to run, I owe it to myself, my fans and the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon organizers to not show up with less than my very best.
I will instead save my Chicago debut for another day, which will
hopefully come soon.
“Even
though I will not be running, I am still excited to be a part of the
weekend by providing inspiration and encouragement to the many runners
who will be running for The Hall Steps Foundation and other charities.
I am thankful to Bank of America for providing our Steps runners with
this opportunity to run for the greater purpose of poverty alleviation,
and I am looking forward to seeing their efforts in action.”
“It’s
unfortunate that Ryan won’t make it to the start line of the 2010 Bank
of America Chicago Marathon, but we understand the nature of the sport
and these types of setbacks can occur,” said Bank of America Chicago
Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “Runners like Ryan
are always pushing their physical limits in their pursuit to be the
very best at what they do, and there is a fine line between fitness and
fatigue. We wish Ryan the best in his recovery and look forward to
watching him put his skills to the test in Chicago at a later date.”
Hall’s
absence leaves the door wide open for a host of others to finish as the
top American male. Despite the loss of Hall, who has a personal best of
2:06:17, there are five men in the field with sub-2:06 personal
records, setting the stage for the most competitive men’s field in Bank
of America Chicago Marathon history.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will formally announce its complete field of elite athletes on Thursday, September 30.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 33rd year and a member of the World Marathon
Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000
participants, including a world class elite field and a world class
elite wheelchair field, and 1.7 million spectators. As a result of its
national and international draw, the iconic race assists in raising $10
million for a variety of charitable causes while generating a $150
million economic impact to its host city according to a report by the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Regional Economics
Applications Laboratory (R.E.A.L.). The 2010 Bank of America Chicago
Marathon will start and finish in Chicago’s Grant Park beginning at
7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 10. In advance of the race, a two-day
Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention
Center on Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9. More information
on the race and how to get involved is available at the event Web site,
chicagomarathon.com.
