Ryan walks back exaggerated marathon time
(CNN) – Exercise enthusiast Paul Ryan back pedaled Monday on his claim of a marathon time of under three hours, attributing the mistake to over two decades of time passed and a back injury.
Ryan said in an August radio interview with Hugh Hewitt that his best marathon time was under three hours, which would mean the fit Wisconsin congressman and Republican vice presidential candidate held under seven minute miles for the 26.2 miles race–an impressive feat for even the most avid runners.
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
- Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
Runner's World magazine raised questions about Ryan's time last Friday, shortly after the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
Then Ryan's staff issued a statement to the magazine last Friday where he admitted misstating his time by over an hour, finishing the 1990 Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota race in just over four hours. The GOP vice presidential candidate said his brother pointed out his mistake, in the statement published on the magazine's website on August 31.
"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," Ryan said in the statement, which the campaign confirms was sent to the magazine.
Ryan blamed the fudged personal record on time passed and a back injury in an interview with WTOL in Toledo on Monday.
"I literally thought that was my time. It was 22 years ago," he said in the interview. "You forget sort of these things. I hurt my back when I was in my mid twenties, so obviously my perception of races and times were off."
Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who is also an active runner, jumped on the mistake Tuesday linking Ryan's exaggerated marathon time to his character.
"I must confess, I do not do an under-3 hour marathon," Sebelius joked to the Ohio delegation at the Democratic National Convention. "Anyone who starts with the notion that you have to make up your marathon time tells you all you need to know about Paul Ryan."
From CNN Politics
- Colin Powell dead at 84
- Biden mourns loss of Colin Powell: 'He will be remembered as one of our great Americans' October 18, 2021 04:44 pm
- Colin Powell, first Black US secretary of state, dies of Covid-19 complications amid cancer battle October 18, 2021 04:41 pm
- Democratic Rep. David Price of North Carolina will not run for reelection in 2022 October 18, 2021 04:32 pm
- What Powell's surprise Obama endorsement revealed about his view of America's future October 18, 2021 04:32 pm
- Colin Powell's life in pictures October 18, 2021 03:57 pm
Obama has spent millions of $$$ to hide his college transcripts from the public and your upset about marathon times from 20 years ago. In addition none of Obama's class mates even remember him at Columbia? Ryan hasn't gone over to Saudi Arabia and bowed to King whose citizens killed thousands of Americans in 9/11.
One does not forget ones pr in a marathon, the pain of doing it imprints itself on your brain. He is just a blatant lier who cannot be trusted anymore than his running mate.
You can run, but you can't hide.
"GOOD GRIEF!!! I gave birth and don't remember the exact time"
But you no doubt remember if it was a boy or a girl!!!!
IF your government helps, this plant SHOULD be here the next 100 years. ~~~ Obama 2008 (pre election).
GW Bush was in charge and did NOT help that plant.
FACT.
43.8 million Americans are on food stamps and worried about feeding their kids. Current 23% Unemployment/Underemployment and trillions $$ of taxpayers dollars spent and the unemployment is the same as 4 years ago. All this and Dem's spend time talking about marathon times from 20 years ago. No wonder they have done so poorly at managing he economy.
I think overpromising and underdelivering is a different issue than flat out lying. Ryan is a liar not only about his personal achievements, but also about why Obama should not be elected for a second term....
this is more worrying to me, than a president who has done a lot of good, and still has a lot more work to do. We should hope that the senate and house are also run by the democrats, so maybe we can get more good stuff done and it will not be blocked as we have see a lot of over the past two years.
TJ you really hate the man.I suppose you want him to walk on water, You credited him for nothing,Yet you credit Ryan for lying. What a country.
It wasn't his back that he injured.
"In 1994 I ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 3 hours, 5 minutes and 29 seconds. That was the closest I ever got to breaking 3 hours. I have run 37 complete, 1 DNF and I can't tell you all of my times, but I can remember my PR. If you are a serious runner and you would have to be to run 3 hrs, you do not forget your best times, no matter how much your back hurts."
I agree with you Paul (great time btw, mine's 3:20 in the LA marathon. You got me beat!). It's pretty hard for me to believe Ryan forgot his best time by that much. But, then, he is a professional politician.
It's just that the time he claimed is so outrageously small... he would be a pro-athlete. Any amateur runner would know that a pace below 7:00 min is extremely fast! I'd remember that even if it were a half marathon! The lie is just so silly it's like talking or forgetting about the time you fished that 300 pounds catfish (when it was actually a half pounder)!!
A sub three hour marathon is a ilestone in distance running and he claims to be a world class runner but then recants when hes called on it.HES A WORLD CLASS LIAR AND THATS ALL HE IS
This is the most important issue of the election.
Obama 2012
Imagine that.... A politician who lies to make himself look better than he really is in life.
Paul Ryan has been exposed, since his "BIG" roll out he has been caught in one lie after another. And now this morning on the Today show, he try's to justify a "LIE" he told at the convention,Hey Mr. Ryan, you lied, we called you on it,how long are you going to defend, what we all know that is "NOT" true? That type of behavior, is such a turn off.
Ryan lies. Mitt lies. The 'Pukes will vote for them anyway.
You can't fix stupid.
So the claim was all good, as long as the truth didn't come out. mmmmm....
Grandma's Marathon? My time in June, 1992 was 4:05:48. About when Paul ran it but 4 minutes slower. I was 47. Believe me, I ran 9 marathons and I remember every one! So would he!
right. he doesn't rmember because something like that would not stick in an avid runner's mind or memory. right. he has no idea how fast marathoners run. right...
so what else has he exaggerated, or just plain mislead us about? his antics remind me of teenagers running for class president– say anything, promise them free ice cream at every lunch, shorter school days, no final exams, whatever to get attention so that maybe they'll see your name on the ballot and vote for you....
not quite as thoughts of grandeur as Palin had claiming foreign policy experience because she could see Russia from her house or yard, or whatever, but just as telling....
what does this say about character, truth and veracity??? add that to Romney's hidden $$, and what do we have?
What, Me Worry?
You can't trust nothing coming out of the mouth of this man. Sham on Mr. Ryan. I don't know how can Americans let you in the white house after listning in all of these lies before you get into.
oh, I believe that. right. he doesn't rmember because something like that would not stick in an avid runner's mind or memory. right. he has no idea how fast marathoners run. right...
so what else has he exaggerated, or just plain mislead us about? his antics remind me of teenagers running for class president– say anything, promise them free ice cream at every lunch, shorter school days, no final exams, whatever to get attention so that maybe they'll see your name on the ballot and vote for you....
not quite as thoughts of grandeur as Palin had claiming foreign policy experience because she could see Russia from her house or yard, or whatever, but just as telling....
what does this say about character, truth and veracity??? add that to Romney's hidden $$, and what do we have?
Paul Ryan has incrdible disrespect for our intelligence if he thinks we are buying his explanation. This is absolutely not an honest mistake. Nobody who runs could in any conceivable way confuse a 2 hour and something marathon with a 4 hour and something marathon. This would be the equivalent of saying "I made $300,000 dollars in 1990" when in fact you had only made $30,000. You just can't confuse the two, no matter how bad your memory is.
His claim that he just forgot is ridiculous on its face, and it suggests a real problem with the truth. He is either comfortable lying to himself, or lying to the public. Or both. Either way, he is looking a lot like a liar. Not good.
Ryan must have an extremely poor memory. I ran a marathon (my only one) in 1978 (34 years ago) and I still remember my exact time: 4:04:12. I suspect Ryan just threw out a fast time to impress people, assuming no one would ever bother to research it. If he fibs on things like this, his role on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, and the closing of the Janesville auto plant, think what he would do on the really big things. I would hope our elected officials would have something called character and integrity. Maybe that's a "bridge too far" in this day and time. Too bad for our nation - we are the losers.
Ryan can't tell the truth about anything! He lives in a world of lies and knows not the truth about anything. He'll take away your Medicare and lie about it – he'll sell out your Social Security to wall street, and lie about it
He voted for every Bush thing that caused the huge deficit and now lies that he is the one to fix it
He claims to be a Christian but all he does is lie – sickening