Ryan Hall will be heading to London in a couple weeks as a member or the U.S. Olympic marathon team. His coach will be accompanying him, though He won’t be needing an airline ticket, or a berth in the Olympic Village. That’s because, well, Ryan is coached by God.
 
As Jeré Longman’s story in Saturday’s New York Times relates, just after Hall finished second in the U.S. half-marathon championships last year ~

As is standard procedure nowadays, he was escorted to a back area to take a drug test. There, he had to fill out a form and list his coach. Hall, a person of deep faith who is known to sing praises to Jesus during his runs, listed “God.” Officials told him he had to list a real person.
 
“He is a real person,” Hall retorted.

Hall said that God spoke to him regularly, giving him training plans, even a race strategy for the London Olympics. He does not hear a voice; rather, he will pray or scroll through workouts in his head and a heightened thought will give him a sense of peace, grace, empowerment. Or a passage from the Bible will seem particularly relevant and urgent. Hall is still learning to distinguish his own thoughts from what he believes are God’s words to him…
 
…“I’m my own toughest critic,” Hall said. “I’ve messed up, but the mistake wasn’t on God’s end. I really believe God is always wanting to speak to me and reveal secrets to me and tell me what I need to be doing. I just mess it up sometimes.

 
Hall doesn’t just rely on advice from God when it comes to running. He and his wife, also a runner, are actively living their faith:

Hall donates prize money from his races to a nonprofit organization founded by himself and his wife, Sara, the national cross-country champion.
 
The nonprofit, called the Steps Foundation, is dedicated to fighting global poverty through improved health. The Halls have financed running programs in the United States to help mentor disadvantaged youth and homeless adults. They have also worked with Korir to build a hospital in Kenya’s Rift Valley.

 
Wishing Ryan success in his bid for a medal.
Although with God as his coach – he’s already a winner!