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Mammoth Is Interesting

Ryan Hall, one of a contingent of marathon runners who train in Mammoth, on Saturday, Nov. 3 won a spot on the men's marathon team by finishing first in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in New York City.

Mammoth's Meb Keflezighi, the silver medalist at the 2004 Olympics, finished eighth. The first three runners qualified.

The race was marred by the death of Ryan Shay, who lived and trained in Mammoth with Team USA California before movin to Flagstaff, Ariz., earlier this year. Shay collapsed about 5 1/2 miles into the race, He was 28. The death was confirmed after the race by New York Road Runners president Mary Wittenberg. She said he was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital.

The 28-year-old Shay was a favorite going into the 2004 trials but was hampered by a hamstring strain and finished 23rd. He was third at this year's U.S. 25K championships.

"It's a big loss for the running community," said 2004 women's marathon Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor of Mammoth, who once trained with Shay. In an interview with the Associated Press, Kason said, "It's a day we should be celebrating. It has cast a pall. The distance running community is very close."

Behind Hall were Dathan Ritzenhein and Brian Sell. Hall won the race in a trials record time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 2 seconds after making five loops around Central Park. He was followed by Ritzenhein in 2:11:07 and Sell in 2:11:40.

Hall, whose official residence is in Palo Alto and who ran for Stanford before graduating in 2006, trains with Mammoth coach Terrence Mahon

The top three made the Olympics in the marathon for the first time, prevailing in a field of 131.

Hall had never run a marathon before April.

"It was really tough out there, and I'm proud to represent America," Hall said. "We have quite a team."

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