Ryan Hall & Sara Hall To Run ASICS LA Marathon
As I stare at the remnants of Blizzard Juno out my window, I’m doing a little California dreaming. The ASICS LA Marathon announced yesterday its elite field for the 30th edition of the race on Sunday, March 15—the runners who will be competing for the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships title on the famous “Stadium to Sea” course.
The ASICS LA Marathon has been upping its professional presence in recent years. This year the race is hosting the USATF Marathon Championships and in 2016 will become home to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Expect to be hearing a lot about LA in the year to come.
Headlining LA’s pro field in 2015 are Ryan Hall and Sara Hall. The married California natives—who now live and train with Team Run Flagstaff in Arizona—will be running LA for the first time. The race also marks Sara’s marathon debut.
But they won’t be alone—all told 61 Americans will be competing in the USA Track & Field Marathon Championships, which will run concurrently within the larger LA Marathon event. It’s no accident that the national championships are in the same city where the 2016 Olympic Trials will be held. It’s a chance for pro runners to familiarize themselves with LA’s streets before a shot at Olympic glory.
ASICS LA Marathon Men’s Field
In the men’s division, Ryan Hall leads the pack of 35 Americans with the fastest marathon time among them—2:04:58, which he posted at the 2011 Boston marathon. He’s also the half-marathon American record holder.
But Hall is still on the comeback trail after a nearly two-year string of injuries and rash of coaching changes. He dropped out of the 2012 Olympic marathon in London and didn’t start another marathon until Boston in April 2014, where he ran 2:17:50.
In January 2015, he finished the P.F. Chang Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona 1/2 Marathon in 1:04:16, one second behind winner Benson Cheruiyot, as a tune-up for LA. “This was a building block,” he told the Arizona Republic. “I don’t want to peak too soon. I’m saving that for Rio.”