Ryan Patrick Vail (born March 19, 1986)
is an American long-distance runner.
Vail had a college running career at
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, where his success led him to
road race competitively.
He is best known for blogging his high mileage training. He has been featured in publications such as
Runner's World
''Runner's World'' is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before its acquisition by Hearst, it was founded and published by Rodale, Inc. in Em ...
for his training methods.
Vail also works for
Brooks Sports
Brooks Sports, Inc., also known as Brooks Running, is an American sports equipment company that designs and markets high-performance men's and women's sneakers, clothing, and accessories. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Brooks products are ...
as a sponsored athlete.
He is married to his former Oklahoma State
cross-country teammate, Eva Tomankova.
Running career
Vail began training year around during his junior year at
Centennial High School. He then went on to
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
where he was the leader of the 2009
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Cross Country National Championship team.
Immediately after graduating from
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, Vail signed a contract with
Brooks Sports
Brooks Sports, Inc., also known as Brooks Running, is an American sports equipment company that designs and markets high-performance men's and women's sneakers, clothing, and accessories. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Brooks products are ...
.
Vail participated in the 2012 Olympic Trials, where he was a top finisher.
Vail was also the top American finisher in the
2013 New York Marathon,
and at the
2014 London Marathon
The 2014 London Marathon was the 34th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 13 April. The men's elite race was won by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and the women's race was won by Kenyan Edna K ...
, where he finished 10th in 2' 10" 57, his personal best.
Personal records
*
Marathon 2:10:57
*
Half Marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...
1:02:04
* 10 mi road 47:13
* 15 km road 43:43
* 10 km 27:44.07
* 5 km 13:28.11
* 3 km indoor 7:52.17
*
1500m
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athlet ...
3:42.80
Awards and achievements
* 5 time All-American at Oklahoma State University
* 11th place debut at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials (2:12:43)
* 6th place
2012 Olympic Trials 10 km
* 3rd place
Gate River Run (USA 15 km Championships) 2013
* 1st US finisher at the 2013 ING NYC Marathon (13th) in 2:13:30
* 10th place 2014
Virgin Money London Marathon (2:10:57)
* 3rd place USA Track and Field Championships - 10 km
* 9th place 2014
TCS New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor (commercial), sponsor) is an annual Marathon (sport), marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest mar ...
* Top 6 finish in the following U.S. Championships:
* 2005 USA Junior Cross Country Championships
* 2009
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, a ...
* 2010
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, a ...
* 2010 Gate River 15 km USA National Championships
* 2011 Gate River 15 km USA National Championships
*
2011 USA Outdoor National Championships (10 km)
* 2011
USA Half-Marathon National Championships
* 2012 Track and Field Olympic Trials 10 km
* 2013 USA Cross Country Championships
* 2013 USA Track and Field Championships (10 km)
* 2013 Gate River Run (USA 15 km Championships)
* 3rd place
2014 USA Track and Field Championships - 10 km
* 5th place
2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Organized by USA Track and Field, the four-day competition took place June 25–28 and served as the national championships i ...
- 10 km
Blog
Vail is known for his blog
ryanvail.blogspot.com He first began blogging in 2012.
Vail keeps a record of his training and upcoming races through his
blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order s ...
. He also shares his workout regiments he completed that day. Vail offers advice and gives fellow runners pointers on what gear is the best on the market. Fans have the ability to communicate with Vail through the comments section in his blog. They can also communicate through his
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, @ryanvail.
See also
*
Marathons
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
References
External links
* http://ryanvail.blogspot.com/
Patrick-Ryan Vail Tomanek Association of Road Racing Statisticians profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vail, Ryan
Living people
1986 births
American male long-distance runners
Oklahoma State University alumni