Debuting this month, The 41st Day follows the former pro marathoner Ryan Hall through his highs as an Olympic star and the lows that led to his early retirement

Debuting this month, The 41st Day follows @ryanhall3 through his highs as an Olympic star and the lows that led to his early retirement.

When Ryan Hall announced his retirement from professional competition at age 33 in 2016, many in the running community were surprised. But to Hall—who owns the third-fastest American marathon time on a record-eligible course (2:06:17)—the decision made perfect sense.

“I’ve always been an all-or-nothing kind of guy,” Hall says in The 41st Day, a new documentary set to debut in New York City on September 28. “When I was little and I decided I wanted to run, I knew I would go all in. But I also knew that a day would come when I would wake up and be done with it.”

The documentary, which was provided to Runner’s World for advanced viewing, follows Hall through his early days as a teenage prodigy in Big Bear Lake, California, his meteoric rise as a cross-country and track athlete at Stanford University, and finally his rollercoaster career as a professional runner. You can watch the movie in select cities throughout October (view the full screening schedule here), and also preorder the DVD, which will be shipped in November.

In the film, Hall is interviewed during pinnacle stages of his career, such as when he set the American half marathon record (59:43) and won the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2007, as well as when he boldly announced in 2010 that he was leaving his coach and turning to God alone for guidance. Throughout the film, we see footage of Hall racing and training, as well as interacting with friends, family, plus his wife—professional marathoner Sara Hall—and their daughters, who all live in Flagstaff, Arizona, today.

posted Friday September 27th
by Hailey Middlebrook