Ryan Hall to run at Half Marathon Against Haile G

February 4, 2009

Feb 4, 2009

Reported by: Bart van Aalst

Dutch websites announced Ryan Hall to race Haile Gebrselassie in The Hague, on the same course where Wanjiru set the 1/2 marathon world record. Race is on March 14, 2009.

Announcement is on www.fortiscpcloop.nl (they only mention some results, dates and the fact that Hall is racing Haile)

- Bart van Aalst

HAILE GEBRSELASSIE STARTS IN 35TH FORTIS CITY-PIER-CITY RUN

The organizers of the Fortis City-Pier-City Run today announced the start of Haile Gebrselassie in the 35th edition of the event in The Hague on Saturday March 14th.

The world record holder marathon travels with a special mission to The Hague. He wants to recapture the world record half marathon. Gebrselassie lost his word record half marathon on March 17th 2007 to Samuel Wanjiru. On the proven fast course in The Hague the Kenyan clocked a time of 58:33. With that time Wanjiru knocked 22 seconds off the time Haile Gebrselassie did set in Phoenix on January 15th 2006.

,,It will be my first running of the Fortis City-Pier-City Run. I know The Netherlands very well. I know that road race courses here are mostly very flat and fast. The fact that Wanjiru broke my world record here is an extra motivation’’, Gebrselassie said in a prepared statement. ,,It proves the course is very fast. From experience I know that the organization is excellent.’’

Haile Gebrselassie has broken in his rich career until now 27 world records in- and outdoor. ,,When my running career is over I will have broken at least thirty world records. The Fortis City-Pier-City Run half marathon looks like an excellent opportunity to bring this goal nearer.’’

The 35th edition of the Fortis City-Pier-City Run is also venue of the national championships half marathon.

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#46	Nick Higgins March 17 at 1:28pm Where are the results of this race? reply
#45	Jeff Abbott March 10 at 5:33pm Cody Lemons said: “Just saw from running times twitter page that ryan hall is skipping the half. Is this true.. http://twitter.com/runningtimes” David Monti has also reported this on his site Race Results Weekly. reply
#44	Cody Lemons March 10 at 5:06pm Just saw from running times twitter page that ryan hall is skipping the half. Is this true.. http://twitter.com/runningtimes reply
#43	Beef Stew February 18 at 7:57am why does everyone got to hate on the guy? Lets pretend you hear the conversation between Hall and Terrance..."Ok Ryan, you are going to run against the best in the world, I signed you up for this race so you can be humiliated and just get worked. You have no chance of beating Halie." Seriously? Thats the way everyone makes it out to be. No one really has said Ryan would beat Halie, but man it would be a great race. And as for Boston, yes I do think he can win in Boston hands down and maybe even in NYC. And if he doesn't, who cares. He's faster than all of us here so at least you could give him some support. reply
#42	The Dude February 17 at 5:37pm I'm tired of Ryan Hall and his coach talking smack about how they are going to win an olympic medal, look he was 10th and more than one mile behind Sammy! Now they are talking about winning the Boston Marathon. come on, and now his coach is talking about him racing against Haile in this half marathon, like its some kind on showdown between the two. I doubt haile is going to lose sleep the night before, because Ryan Hall is going to be running. Ryan Hall ran the fastest marathon for an american born runner last year in London and the best he did was 5th, and there was plenty of other runners that weren't even there that would have beat him. Just because he is the best that america has right now, doesnt me he is going to beat the best in the world and he and his coach need to quit talking smack about all these races he is going to win! reply
#41	The Dude February 17 at 5:30pm what do you mean by only 48 seconds. when you are running a 4:29 mile pace, 48 seconds is a LONG time. when the gun goes off do you really think Haile is going to be worried about Ryan Hall. No he is not. Haile is going to be as worried about Ryan Hall as much as Ryan Hall would be worried about me if we raced a marathon together! reply
#40	Anonymous Coward February 12 at 4:57pm Haile Gebrselassie best -- 58:55 Ryan Hall best -- 59:43 All of you who say Hall doesn't have a chance GIVE ME A BREAK! Ryan should run a pretty competitive race and so will Haile. True Haile does have the better time, but only by what 48 seconds. This will be a great battle between the two, remember legendary runners do get beat too they aren't invincible. reply
#39	Read A Book February 12 at 4:08pm If you want to be the best, you need to race against the best. Ryan Hall is doing something that more American athletes should do. Challenge yourself, and race the best. Seems that he is starting this year off as one of redemption. I hope there's good coverage, and post interviews of both athletes regarding the race. Regardless of outcome. reply
#38	JK February 8 at 8:28pm Ryan needs that extra gut check that makes a true champion. He'll probably get a side cramp in the first mile. reply
#37	Chris Robertson February 8 at 12:05pm I wish ryan hall the best, but unfortunately I don't think he has a chance competing against Haile reply
#36	DMS. February 7 at 12:23am Go Ryan! Hall it Dude!!! reply
#35	Coston Perkins February 6 at 7:01pm Go Haile! reply
#34	Aidan Goltra February 6 at 6:00pm Go Ryan, bring back honor to America!!!!! reply
#33	Yup February 6 at 12:42pm good luck ryan! go get him! reply
#32	Biff February 6 at 8:44am I do respect Ryan from being from the west and neglecting video games and mcdonalds but he still has the western nonsense trait. reply
#31	Biff Minion February 6 at 8:36am Hall that dude.... talking all that hype about haile after his marathon debut about I can run a good 10k but I know I cant beat him in marathon. He is outstanding shape but the olympics he hyped so much i want my medal and was not in the front... terga was in the front and hall placed before terga in london! By chips on the table go for hall not even 10 seconds behind haile after 10k. reply
#30	Tanner Elliott February 5 at 10:42pm INSANE INSANW INSANE reply
#29	Peter February 5 at 8:52pm i think this will be a great race. i wanted ryan to do another half also. there will most certanily be pacemakers so hall should just hang with halie as long as possible like james kwambi did in berlin. a good result should follow reply
#28	MikeyB February 5 at 8:38pm I get so nervous for these types of races......I can't watch?....tell me when it's over! I wish Ryan Hall all the best! reply
#27	Nolan Petersen February 5 at 8:20pm Go Hall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! reply
#26	Time Predictions February 5 at 6:33pm I predict 58:45 for Geb, and 59:35 for Ryan. reply
#25	Taylor Whiteside February 5 at 6:08pm Isaac Fall... there is a reason why we race... who knows how either will do reply
#24	Francis Hernandez February 5 at 5:44pm Go Ryan. Geb will destroy reply
#23	Isaac Fall February 5 at 4:52pm What the HECK!!!!!!!!! Why is everybody rooting for Ryan Hall and thinking that he's going to win. He doesn't even have a chance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unless Haile Gebreselassie brakes a leg during the race or something like that, but I bet he would still win even if that happened! I'm Haile Gebreselassie's #1 FAN!!!! Oooooooooohhhhh yyyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!! Go Haile Gebreselassie and get the world half marathon record too! I'm rooting for you! reply
#22	Michael Machado February 5 at 3:56pm ya is there going to be flotrack coverage? I'm guessing not since it's in the Netherlands; another opportunity for a floadventure. reply
#21	Anonymous Coward February 5 at 3:23pm Will there be a complete race video like there was at Houston? Are there any other big name runners entered in the race? reply
#20	Get Em Ryan February 5 at 10:59am we all know that gebs gonna get out and go hard so all ryan is has to do stay with him and let him do the work and then start workin the last half of the race....go get em ryan reply
#19	Hehe February 5 at 9:43am geb reply
#18	Tyler February 5 at 8:58am THIS IS AWESOME!!! I am a Huge Ryan Hall fan. I am not sure if he will win or not...I would guess not but I do predict for him to go sub 59:00. which is amazing and will set him up for a boston win. I can't wait!!!! reply
#17	One Question February 5 at 7:03am One Question Answered: Yes I read, and yes I know about a race pace run about that far out. It's not doing the race that made me wonder, it was the travel and time shift and the readjusting involved. If he'd done it in the States there would have been no risk, but I guess no challenge either. Like others said, they aren't like us and I'm sure he will have the support needed to get him ready. Either way, we're going to get two epic races out of Ryan in the next 3 months. That's amazing for us as fans. reply
#16	Anonymous Coward February 5 at 6:54am I've been waiting to see ryan run another half marathon this is awesome! the two individuals run somewhat the same style (rhythm runners instead of wanjiru who just throws fast and slow splits in) so maybe it will be close, who knows; won't find out until race day. reply
#15	William Windham Jr February 5 at 12:34am IF Ryan Hall goes into this race withthe mentality of beating Haile Gebrselassie,then the same thing that happened to him in the olympics is gonna happen on race day.Ryan Hall needs to race against Ryan Hall.When Haile steps up to the line on march 14 he is worrying about winning,and not any individual.Thats the difference between world class,and coach! reply
#14	Pablo Diaz February 5 at 12:06am To be honest, I think Haile is going beat Hall in the race. Why do I think this? Haile has been smashing records that have been made from young athletes and I know that he will take the record AND beat Hall. If you disagree, thats alright,well just see who wins. reply
#13	One Question Answered February 4 at 11:54pm Dude do you read? Just about every expert out there recommends doing a race pace or slightly faster 10k or half about a month from your target marathon. Just saying it's not that much of a stretch for the elites. I think Hall has done this before. reply
#12	Smarter Than You February 4 at 11:13pm This is translated, just click on the british flag in the top right corner http://www.flotrack.org/articles/view/784-ryan-hall-to-run-at-half-marathon-against-haile-g reply
#11	Patrick Grogan February 4 at 10:41pm Hall FTW. reply
#10	Danny Mackey February 4 at 10:33pm one question: that's a good thing to wonder since it's close to Boston. But we forgot that these athletes are different then us, he doesn't have to work when he comes back to the states and 24/7 are involved to recovery training etc. So if it was us, probably, him, I think he will be good to go at Boston. reply
#9	Harry X February 4 at 10:20pm The 35th edition of the Fortis Pier-City course has been scheduled for Saturday 14 March with Ryan Hall the record holder of the United States to start. The person who owns the American record of 59:43 for the half marathon (which he ran on January 14, 2007 in Houston). Ryan Hall has been added to the select group of athletes who have run 21.1 kilometers within 1 hour. With Hall after Haile Gebrselassie, the world record holder of the marathon (2.03.59), second by has been contracted. Already, Haile Gebrselassie announced that he wants to provide a fast time in Hague with an attack on the world record for the half marathon held by the Kenyan, Samuel Wanjiru which he set on Marth 17th, 2007 in Hague with a 58:33. Wanjiru improved the world record largely a month rather in race already Khaimah with 58.53 had run. He dethroned with that last performance Haile Gebrselassie's half marathon world record, which had stood since January 15th, 2006 (Phoenix) the fastest man on the half marathon with 58.55. 1.78 the meter long. Hall also has the American record in the 20 kilometres (57.54). He proved last year in April his impression in the marathon of London, he with a personal record of 2.06.17 as a fiftieth finished. A year before that, he had come in the English capital as a seventh concerning the end line in 2.08.24. In the Olympic marathon in Beijing, Hall was tenth place in 2.12.33 reply
#8	Chase February 4 at 10:16pm Unreal. Go get him, Ryan. You've got our support every step of the way. reply
#7	Nick Osborne February 4 at 10:00pm this will be epic....its like the passing of the torch... reply
#6	Jon Wallis February 4 at 9:35pm yea im sure ryan hall, his coach, and asics have thought the whole thing through so i bet that he'll be ready or they wouldnt do it. sure there might be a slight risk, but to race the greatest distance runner ever and then run boston all within two months, its a chance id take! reply
#5	One Question February 4 at 9:33pm Does anyone think that Ryan doing what will be a very serious race involving major travel little over a month before Boston will hinder his marathon prep? Is 5 weeks enough to fly back to CA, readjust to the time difference, get in final tune up training, fly back across the country, and race the man who may go down as the greatest Boston champion ever? reply
#4	Rediculous February 4 at 9:29pm This is crazy. First I can't wait for Boston making April seem really far off. Now this makes March seem too far away. The running world is prolonging my year to excess. reply
#3	SteveB February 4 at 8:53pm Go get it Ryan! reply
#2	M V February 4 at 8:21pm HAILE GEBRSELASSIE STARTS IN 35TH FORTIS CITY-PIER-CITY RUN The organizers of the Fortis City-Pier-City Run today announced the start of Haile Gebrselassie in the 35th edition of the event in The Hague on Saturday March 14th. The world record holder marathon travels with a special mission to The Hague. He wants to recapture the world record half marathon. Gebrselassie lost his word record half marathon on March 17th 2007 to Samuel Wanjiru. On the proven fast course in The Hague the Kenyan clocked a time of 58:33. With that time Wanjiru knocked 22 seconds off the time Haile Gebrselassie did set in Phoenix on January 15th 2006. ,,It will be my first running of the Fortis City-Pier-City Run. I know The Netherlands very well. I know that road race courses here are mostly very flat and fast. The fact that Wanjiru broke my world record here is an extra motivation’’, Gebrselassie said in a prepared statement. ,,It proves the course is very fast. From experience I know that the organization is excellent.’’ Haile Gebrselassie has broken in his rich career until now 27 world records in- and outdoor. ,,When my running career is over I will have broken at least thirty world records. The Fortis City-Pier-City Run half marathon looks like an excellent opportunity to bring this goal nearer.’’ The 35th edition of the Fortis City-Pier-City Run is also venue of the national championships half marathon. reply
#1	Ryan From Flotrack February 4 at 7:47pm link to the article (but not in english). we'll look for an english version http://www.fortiscpcloop.nl/pages/nieuws_detail/S1/10010000000226-2-10010000001006.aspx?newsid=10010010015160 reply