Paul Ryan Trips Over Marathon Question

COLUMBUS - Paul Ryan is an athlete, no question about it - we know he does the rigorous P90X exercise regime daily. But is he a marathoner?

On Hugh Hewitt's radio show Friday it sure sounded like he was, at least in his youth.

Hewitt asked the vice presidential candidate whether he is "still running."

Ryan answered that he "hurt a disc" in his back," so he doesn't "run marathons anymore." Instead, he said. he just runs 10 miles or less.

The conservative radio host then asked him what his personal best time is. For a marathoner this is a badge of honor, but Ryan couldn't recall exactly.

"Under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something," Ryan said.

Hewitt was surprised, saying, "Holy smokes."

Ryan replied: "I was fast when I was younger, yeah."

But it turns out, he's only run one and it wasn't under three hours or even under four hours.

The Ryan campaign told Runner's World magazine that the House Budget Chairman ran one marathon in 1990 when he was 20 years old. That was the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. The running magazine reports he finished in 4 hours, 1 minute, and 25 seconds.

Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck provided ABC News with this statement from the Republican vice presidential candidate:

"The race was more than 20 years ago, but my brother Tobin - who ran Boston last year - reminds me that he is the owner of the fastest marathon in the family and has never himself ran a sub-three. If I were to do any rounding, it would certainly be to four hours, not three. He gave me a good ribbing over this at dinner tonight."

ABC News asked Buck why the Wisconsin congressman made it sound as if he had run more than one marathon, but Buck only responded to confirm it was just a single race.

Runner's World has some great statistics on other national candidates that have faster times than Ryan, including the last GOP vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, who has a best time of 3:59

John Edwards has run 3:30 and George W. Bush has run 3:44, while Al Gore is slower than Ryan with a 4:58.

That's kind of a stupid "gotcha". I just assume it would be slower than he said. Like I assume that when a guys says he got a 9.8% raise, it's probably really 3% and if a guy says he caught a 40 lb. muskie, it was probably really 22 lbs.

For me, it's not that he shaved his time, it's that he was stupid enough to do it so extremely, and with something so easily checked for accuracy.

He's an athlete and a numbers guy yet he misstates his marathon PR by over one hour and implies he has run more than one, when in fact he hasn't.

While one might expect politicians to reshape history to suit their needs, I draw the line at PRs. They are sacred. There is something patently wrong with people who lie about their PRs.

From http://news.yahoo.com/paul-ryan-trips-o ... itics.html

Well, okay, but it was an off-hand remark. It seems childish to "check it for accuracy". It's not like he claimed to have won a Medal of Honor in Vietnam.

It's like Obama suggesting that he's a baller when the times I've seen him on the court he appears to be spastic. Or Michael Jordan going around saying he's a four handicap when I know a guy who played with him in a charity event who says he couldn't break 100 if he were actually counting them all.

However this guy transformed himself from a middle-of-the-packer into an elite runner.

True. If he had said a little under 4 hours, maybe nobody would have even checked. But a lot of people overdo their bullshit. Like turning around a 95 mph fastball. If you say 85, probably nobody questions you. You push it with 95, well, Gordon Beckham is a big leaguer who has trouble hitting a 95 mph fastball.

Marathons? Why?

Contrived by a bunch of guys who couldn't make a team, but were in great shape and wanted a way to prove it to everyone.

The injuries, pain and death that result of these "runs" is just foolish.

You can get in shape for your own benefit without running a race that some lazy ancient greek guy thought of 3000 years ago!

I will agree though, with a 'Hey, Mr Ryan...WTF?"

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The injuries, pain and death that result of these "runs" is just foolish.

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You make it sound like the running of the bulls.

1. There is risk associated with any physical endeavor.
2. Agreed, sometimes previously undetected conditions reveal themselves while running marathons. However given the number of participants it is rare that someone dies, which is why it is reported, which then can make it seem like it happens often.

People with similar conditions that don't run marathons end up dying somewhere else, i.e while playing basketball in the driveway, hitting balls at the range, or launching into a rant at subordinates at work --- something I got to witness several years ago. Those events, while much more common, are typically not reported in the media.

And no Chicago Marathon for me this year - Doing Marine Corp in DC on 10/28....

What's next? Will Paul Ryan claim that he could dunk a tennis ball on a regulation rim in college?

Details?

New CEO, about 45, seemingly fit, had about 30 of us at a meeting. Did intros then launched into a speech about how we were all worthless and weak and that 20% us of us would soon be gone, etc, when he suddenly keeled over with a massive gripper.

If I know anything about marathoners it is that they can recite every marathon they have finished and every finish time down to the second.

Ding, and meh. This is pretty common for anyone looking to better a time, score or whatever. You remember your best and try and beat it.

Gary Johnson still the front runner for my vote.

I am WAY better at marathons now!

http://www.paulryantimecalculator.com/? ... n&gender=m

This doesn't affect on where my vote is going yet, but now I will cringe every time I see Paul Ryan act holier than thou during some of his stump speeches. VP's aren't all that important except the fact the last two before Biden had some serious sway in the office and policy.

Gary Johnson still the front runner for my vote.