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BOSTON MARATHON LIVE TODAY

BOSTON, 2011 - It has been 26 years since the last American winner here at the Boston Marathon. From the race headquarters here in Boston, let me tell you ... this fact is not lost on anyone here. As tomorrow's marathon approaches, buzz around the race center here in Boston has centered mostly around which Americans have the best chances to end the gold medal drought.  

While there is always going to be a pull for American victory at the top US marathons, there seems to be an elevated sense of urgency in Boston.  While New York hasn't had a US female bring home victory since 1977, they just had a men's winner in 2009 (Meb Keflizighi), breaking an equally long American winless stretch.  Likewise, Chicago (somewhat) recently saw Khalid Khannouchi win two medals representing the US, after attaining citizenship in 2000. Khannouchi also won two for Morrocco in 97 and 99.

Perhaps this is why one of America's finest, Kara Goucher, found a strong 3rd-place showing in 2009 so difficult to swallow.  Going into that race, Goucher felt that she possessed all of the necessary tools to end the spell (a recent sub-67 half marathon, '07 Worlds medal and '08 Olympics double-medaler.  But Goucher recounts a tactical error with 6 miles to go hurting her chances for victory.  

"I took the lead with six miles to go and did it hesitantly.  It was bad tactics on my part."

Goucher revealed that her plan going into that race was to use her superior track speed to kick in the final mile.  But her move 6 miles out took away her kick and left her vulnerable.  Expect her to be more conservative with her approach this year, particularly with the recent birth of her son and a lack of too many strong sharpening races of late.  

Desiree Davila, however, seems to be ready to roll.  Unlike the uncertainty that surrounds Goucher's current fitness, Desi appears ready for a breakout to the next level of stardom.  While Davila concedes that she has done nothing to require the respect that Goucher receives, it does seem that she is ready to show the world that she deserves to be mentioned alongside the Gouchers, Kastors and other American marathoning greats.

Coming off of a 2:31 (and then a 2:27) in 2009, the Brooks-Hansons runner hopped back on the track for an indoor campaign ... which ended in an outstanding 10th-place finish at World Indoors in the 3k.  She's been back on the roads the past 2 years, and has (surprisingly) flown somewhat under the radar. Look for that to change tomorrow.

The American men's hopes, on the other hand, are solely riding on the shoulders of one Ryan Hall.  

Hall, having garnered attention of late for leaving the Mammoth training group and starting to coach himself, is going to be an interesting figure to watch Monday. Hall has been having good workouts of late and comes off of a huge training block in Flagstaff where he claims he is ready to compete for a top spot. His 4th-place finish last year (in 2:08) backs up a 3rd-place outing in 2009, giving him some pretty solid Boston credentials going into the race.  

Americans are curious to see if we are going to soon see a glimmer of the 2007 Ryan Hall ...  the runner who ran a 59:43 half, a 2:06:17 marathon in London, and a 2:09 Olympic Trials winner ... all in the span of 10 months.  Even with all of the credibility Hall has, because Monday will be his first marathon in a year, Hall will definitely be a wildcard.