CHICAGO - U.S. Olympian Ryan Hall has withdrawn from the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon citing fatigue. Hall finished 14th at the Philadelphia Half Marathon on September 19, nearly four minutes outside of his American record. After a series of subpar workouts, Hall made the difficult decision to formally withdraw from the competition. In April, Hall had targeted the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as his best opportunity to challenge the American record of 2:05:38.
"I have made the very difficult decision to withdraw from the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon," said Hall. "Perhaps I was a bit too eager to capitalize on the lightning fast course, atmosphere, and history of the event in my race preparations, causing me to over-train and suffer from perpetual fatigue. I am committed to excellence, and if I am not fully ready to run, I owe it to myself, my fans and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon organizers to not show up with less than my very best. I will instead save my Chicago debut for another day, which will hopefully come soon."
"Even though I will not be running, I am still excited to be a part of the weekend by providing inspiration and encouragement to the many runners who will be running for The Hall Steps Foundation and other charities. I am thankful to Bank of America for providing our Steps runners with this opportunity to run for the greater purpose of poverty alleviation, and I am looking forward to seeing their efforts in action.?
"It's unfortunate that Ryan won't make it to the start line of the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, but we understand the nature of the sport and these types of setbacks can occur," said Bank of America Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "Runners like Ryan are always pushing their physical limits in their pursuit to be the very best at what they do, and there is a fine line between fitness and fatigue. We wish Ryan the best in his recovery and look forward to watching him put his skills to the test in Chicago at a later date."
Hall's absence leaves the door wide open for a host of others to finish as the top American male. Despite the loss of Hall, who has a personal best of 2:06:17, there are five men in the field with sub-2:06 personal records, setting the stage for the most competitive men's field in Bank of America Chicago Marathon history.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will formally announce its complete field of elite athletes on Thursday, September 30.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 33rd year and a member of the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000 participants, including a world class elite field and a world class elite wheelchair field, and 1.7 million spectators. As a result of its national and international draw, the iconic race assists in raising $10 million for a variety of charitable causes while generating a $150 million economic impact to its host city according to a report by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (R.E.A.L.). The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will start and finish in Chicago's Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 10. In advance of the race, a two-day Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9. More information on the race and how to get involved is available at the event Web site, ChicagoMarathon.com
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