A decade ago, God told Ryan Hall to run. Now Hall's a 2:06 marathoner and an Olympic favorite. His story is almost beyond belief.
By Michael Perry
Ryan Hall will be happy with second place.
In his prayers, he thinks of entering Heaven, and imagines running through the gates as if into a great stadium filled with people raising a joyful noise. He hopes to be just off the shoulder of the leader, but he won't attempt a late kick. "The goal of my life," he says, "is just to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as closely as I can."
At the risk of committing light blasphemy, let it be said the Son of God may want a new pair of shoes. Not only did Hall win the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, he was the fastest qualifier in American history, taming a tough New York City course in a Trials-record 2:09:02. It was only his second race at the distance; his first was the 2007 Flora London Marathon, where his 2:08:24 was the fastest debut by an American. Returning to London in 2008, he ran 2:06:17, breaking his own record for the fastest marathon ever run by an American-born citizen. Three marathons, three benchmarks. When Ryan Hall toes the starting line in Beijing, he will be operating at a level of possibility not seen since the days of Alberto Salazar.
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Christian Runners Article #2
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