Jim Wilson/The New York Times
The marathoner Ryan Hall worshiping in Redding, Calif., at Bethel Church, which he joined with his wife, Sara, last August.
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Sara Hall helping her husband stretch before a training run. Ryan Hall visits a massage therapist and a chiropractor weekly. He spends time each day on what he calls self-therapy, a series of stretches and exercises. More Photos »
Thin and blond and boyish at 29 — flight attendants still asked his age when he sat in an exit row — Hall wore jeans and a blue shirt labeled with the shoe company that sponsored his running. At the 2011 Boston Marathon, he ran a personal best of 2 hours 4 minutes 58 seconds. No other American has run faster.
