Hall In Boston

Ryan Hall has taken the proverbial bull by the horns and relocated to Boston for the final 3 weeks before the race.

Hall lives and does the vast majority of his training in mountains of Mammoth Lakes, CA at 7,900 feet. And while he's had a lot of success hiding away up there, doing little, if any racing before marathons, and coming down to sea level just days before racing, I still like this move a lot.

For starters it's not a bad idea to switch things up. Training on the same roads, day after day, segment after segment, year after year, gets stale. I know because I run around the same damn park, every damn day. Anytime I get out of town, it feels great.

Considering altitude training is a speculative science with research failing to back up it's perceived benefit, it will at least be interesting to see how this 3 weeks at sea level effects his race.

Now ask yourself, actually I'll just ask you, where have the last 3 Americans to win Boston lived and/or trained?

No.
Not Lexington, Kentucky.
Nope.
Not Cincinnati.

Ok, jeez, I'll just tell you.
In BOSTON.

Greg Meyer lived and trained in Boston and won in '83.
Alberto Salazar grew up next to the course. He won in '82.
Bill Rodgers won in '75, '78, '79, and '80. Lived and trained on the course.
Even Dick Beardsley spent extensive time in Boston, training daily on the course when he finished 2nd to Salazar in '82.

Think it doesn't pay to know that course, be comfortable on it, and have the local support?

Hall having home field advantage could be huge for him.
In January I wasn't liking his chances too much, but things are looking better.
Defending champ Deriba Merga has shown us nothing leading up to this, with multiple DNF's and a DNS. So who knows what's going on with that guy.
4-time champ Robert Cheryuiot has dropped out with a hip injury.
Meb has been dealing with a knee injury and looks like his training did not go as well as he would have liked in the early stages of preparation.

He does have the 2nd fastest PR in the field, but there's still a good group of 2:06-2:07 guys that will be breathing down his neck.

Will he take out the first mile in 4:38 this year? Probably not.
He was ridiculed for it last year, I guess because he didn't win in the end, but I thought it was great. It made the race exciting to watch. He ran the legs right off most of the field, knocked a few out, and finished third. That's not too bad on your first try at the course. He didn't pull a Goucher and bawl his eyes out at the finish, anyway.

So now he returns wiser, more experienced, knowing the course like the back of his hand, and if he's as fit or fitter than last year, he has a really good shot at taking this thing.


114th Boston Marathon John Hancock’s 2010 Elite Athlete Field

Men’s Open Field (Personal Best)

Deriba Merga, Ethiopia 2:06:38 (London, 2008)

Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:07:14 (Boston, 2006) CR

Ryan Hall, USA 2:06:17 (London, 2008)

Abderrahim Goumri, Morocco 2:05:30 (London, 2008)

Gilbert Yegon, Kenya 2:06:18 (Amsterdam, 2009)

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:06:23 (Frankfurt, 2009)

Evans Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:06:25 (Chicago, 2008)

Chala Dechase, Ethiopia 2:06:33 (Dubai, 2010)

Elijah Keitany, Kenya 2:06:41 (Amsterdam, 2009)

David Kipkorir Mandago, Kenya 2:06:53 (Paris, 2009)

Benjamin Maiyo, Kenya 2:07:09 (Chicago, 2005)

Tekeste Kebede, Ethiopia 2:07:52 (Fukuoka, 2009)

Gashaw Asfaw, Ethiopia 2:08:03 (Paris, 2006)

John Kipkorir Komen, Kenya 2:08:06 (Reims, 2008)

Samuel Mugo, Kenya 2:08:20 (Beijing, 2009)

Stephen Kiogora, Kenya 2:08:24 (Frankfurt, 2008)

Mebrahtom Keflezighi, USA 2:09:15 (New York City, 2009)

Moses Kipkosgei Kigen, Kenya 2:10:12 (Nairobi, 2009)

Abdellah Falil, Morocco 2:12:37 (Turin, 2009)

Jason Lehmkuhle, USA 2:12:54 (New York City, 2007)

Cutbert Nyasango, Zimbabwe 2:13:19 (Berlin, 2009)

Alejandro Suarez, Mexico 2:13:33 (Torreon, 2009)

Josh Rohatinsky, USA 2:14:23 (New York City, 2008)

Antonio Vega, USA 2:15:45 (Minneapolis/St.Paul, 2009)

Mohammed Amyn, Morocco (Debut)