So close. So far. Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever, but failed to officially break the world record because of a tailwind. American Ryan Hall finished fourth. The women's race, however, offered the best hope for an American win in 26 years, when Desiree Davila surged past Caroline Kilel of Kenya in the home stretch. Kilel (and by proxy the rest of the world) briefly considered this outcome and then decided it was a bad idea. A stirring finish nevertheless.