HALL HAS CHANCE FOR THREE USA RECORDS IN CHICAGO
By David Monti
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

CHICAGO (08-Oct) -- Ryan Hall has the chance to break three USA records tomorrow in Chicago, and one of them is likely.

Executive race director Carey Pinkowski revealed at the race's technical meeting here this afternoon that the pacemakers in the men's lead group would try to pass through the half-way mark in 1:02:40.  If Hall is with that group, then holds that pace through the 25-K mark he would pass it in 1:14:16, five seconds under the USATF-ratified record of 1:14:21 set by Fernando Cabada in Grand Rapids in 2006.  This is the most likely record to be broken by Hall tomorrow.

Hall could also surpass his own USATF-ratified 30-K record of 1:28:38 set en route to his 2:06:17 marathon in London in 2008.  However, Hall would have to accelerate slightly in the second half to get under that mark.  Off of a 1:02:40 first half, he would pass 30-K in 1:29:07 if he held the same pace.

Pinkowski assigned an official on the men's lead vehicle to take a hand time for Hall at those intermediate marks, where transponder mats have also been set up to read the times automatically (the hand time is for backup).  Pinkowski said that the 25-K and 30-K marks were certified for distance and are close enough to the starting line to meet the USATF 30% maximum separation guideline.

Of course, Hall's primary goal (besides winning) is to beat Khalid Khannouchi's national marathon record of 2:05:38 set in London in 2002.  Hall ran faster than that at Boston last April (2:04;58), but the Boston course is considered aided, with an elevation loss more than three times the allowable limit.

Hall and the other runners will face slightly cooler weather than had been predicted several days ago.  According to the website Weather.com, the temperature will be about 57°F (14°C) for the 7:30 a.m. start, then rise to about 67°F (19°C) at 9:30 a.m. just before the first man finishes.  Under clear skies, the humidity will be moderate at 67%.