New York, USA - Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Hall took the lead in the 17th mile and blasted away from four others in the lead pack to score a stunning two-minute victory in the U.S. Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon today (3).

Hall, waving to the crowd for the last two kilometres, finished in 2:09:02. Dathan Ritzenhein, 24, finished second in 2:11:07, with Brian Sell, 29, taking third in 2:11:40. Fourth was 35-year-old American record holder Khalid Khannouchi, in 2:12:34. Mebratom Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist, was eighth in 2:15:09.

Hall’s time, almost astounding over a hilly up-and-down Central Park course in windy weather and in a race where placing in the top three was everything and time was unimportant, and which veteran marathoners said was at least two and perhaps three minutes slower than a flat course, was made up of a 1:06:17 first half marathon and a 1:02:45 second half. Negative splits like that are almost unheard of.

The race was though overshadowed by the tragic death of former US marathon champion Ryan Shay.

‘A training run’ for Hall

The race was off slowly, running through about a 5:30 mile of city streets before entering the Park for five loops of about five miles.

It was just a big bunch of 131 runners until Abdi Abdirahman made a move at about 8 miles (12-plus km) and by the time they passed 10 km in 15:04 there was a definite lead group of five - Hall, Keflezighi, Ritzenhein, Abdi and Dan Browne - pretty much the usual suspects. Sell was as far back as tenth at one point.

They stayed together through 20km in 1:03:04, taking turns leading but nobody really surging through 25km in 1:18:09. Then Hall picked up the tempo, gradually edging away at first but then ripping off a 4:32 mile which left him running free and by 30 km his 14:48 had him 30 seconds up on the others. From then on, the race for first was over; he covered the next 5 km in 14:28.

“When I got out there alone I just thought this is like a training run,” Hall said afterward.

Behind him, the struggle for the other two Olympic team places intensified. Khannouchi, having let the lead group go early, was running alone in sixth and catching up. Abdi was the first to weaken, falling back and then dropping out. Ritzenhein made a break at 29 km and was soon alone in second, with Brown trying to follow and succeeding in getting away from Keflezighi.

That looked like it. But then Browne suddenly cramped, slowing and stopping to stretch his hamstrings. By that time Sell, well-known as a good finisher, had Browne in his sights, and he soon passed him and finished with a safe 54-second margin over Khannouchi.

Tragedy

Ryan Shay, 28, a 2:14:09 marathoner and five-time U.S. champion at various distances collapsed running the race at between 9 and 10 km, was taken to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.

"We all are devastated over Ryan's death," said USATF CEO Craig Masback, “he was a tremendous champion who was here today to pursue his dreams. The Olympic Trials is traditionally a day of celebration, but we are heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan's wife, Alicia, and all of his family. His death is a tremendous loss for the sport and the long-distance running community."

A 2002 graduate of Notre Dame and a native of Michigan, Shay was the 2003 USA marathon champion, the 2003 and 2004 USA half-marathon champion, the 2004 USA 20 km champion and the 2005 USA 15 km champion. He won the 2001 NCAA 10,000m title, winning the first national individual title for Notre Dame, and was a nine-time All-American. After college, he trained with Team USA California, a group that includes Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor and now includes 2008 Olympic Trials champion Ryan Hall. In 2003 he won the USARC racing series after winning national road running titles in the marathon and half marathon, and taking third at 5 km and 20 km.

Shay's wife, Alicia (Craig) Shay, was an NCAA champion and record-holder while attending Stanford University and is a professional distance runner.

James Dunaway and USATF for the IAAF