Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall, an American long distance runner, is admired for having an endurance that exceeds most. Born in Kirkland, Washington in 1982, he surprisingly did not take on running until his junior year of high school. His first major competition consisted of the Footlocker Nationals in Orlando during his senior year of high school, where he placed third. The following year, he competed at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships while choosing to continue his education at Stanford University. While numerous injuries held him back during his early collegiate career, Hall came back stronger than ever and was sponsored professionally by 2005. He earned his first national title in 2006, winning by a mere 27 seconds at the 12-K cross-country championships. Since, Hall has competed on two Olympic teams and has run the Boston Marathon three consecutive years in addition to a handful of half-marathons and supplementary marathons. Hall’s dedication to the sport displayed itself when he became the first U.S. runner to break the one-hour barrier in the halfmarathon and currently stands as the third fastest runner in history.