I vaguely have heard of him - since the only time I follow marathon events is the Olympics. He's only 33 which is not really old for a marathoner, but is suffering from chronic fatigue and low testosterone levels.
But he's got a very interesting story. He and his wife belong to a "charismatic evangelical church" and just adopted four sibling sisters from an Ethiopian orphanage.
Here's his blog. Ryan and Sara Hall
Here's a good article in the NY Times, and below that a link to Runner's World Magazine where he's interviewed about his Faith.
His Strength Sapped, Top Marathoner Ryan Hall Decides to Stop
Sprinting seven miles down a 9,000-foot mountain and then running back up to do it again may not appeal to even the most self-punishing of athletes, but Ryan Hall believes it is the kind of “experimental workout” that transformed him into the fastest American distance runner in history.
It is also the kind of extreme training that is now driving him to abruptly retire, two decades into an audacious career that produced national milestones — his time of 2 hours 4 minutes 58 seconds at the 2011 Boston Marathon is by far the fastest for an American runner — but never a victory in a major race.
And go here for the Runner's World interview about his Faith and "Faith-based training".
Comments