2016 usa olympic marathon trials

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2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 3

4 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 5

2016 U.S. OLympic TEAM TRIALS —MARATHON TWO YEARS AND 26.2 MILES

8 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

mother of two—including a daughter born just last April.

Her story is just one among many from the record field of 457 qualifiers, including 246 women and 211 men. (Runners could qualify by completing a marathon in or under 2:19 for men and 2:45 for women, or a half-marathon in or under 1:05 for men and 1:15 for women between August 1, 2013, and January 17, 2016.) The athletes will begin the race at LA Live, do a 2.2-mile loop through Downtown Los Angeles, then proceed to four loops of a 6-mile course that will take them down Figueroa through the USC campus and past the LA Memorial Coliseum—fittingly, where Joan Benoit won the first-ever Olympic Marathon for women, in 1984.

“The U.S. Olympic Committee is pleased to be returning to Los Angeles with this amazing event,” said Scott Blackmun, Chief Executive of the USOC, when the city was awarded the Trials. “As the host of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles has a tremendous Olympic legacy and L.A.’s status as a global center of sport and culture make it an exceptional host for the Olympic Trials.”

Best of all, the entire country will get the chance to see for itself, because for the first time in history the Olympic Trials Marathon will be broadcast live, for three hours on NBC. With its unprecedented coverage, said

PLACE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL

WOMEN $80,000 $65,000 $55,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $13,000 $11,000 $9,000 $7,000 $300,000

race day schedule 8:00 am

VIP Specator Bleachers Open 9:25 am Opening Ceremonies Begin 10:06 am Start, Men’s Field 10:22 am Start, Women’s Field 12:16 pm (approx.) Finish, Men 12:47 pm (approx.) Finish, Women 1:00 pm (approx.) Medal Ceremony-Top Three Men and Women LIVE TELEVISION COVERAGE NBC, 10:00 am-1:00 pm PST/1:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT NBC Sports Live Extra—NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs—will live stream the coverage.

Russell, “NBC will provide another opportunity to demonstrate to the world exactly why Los Angeles is quickly becoming the capital of premier endurance sports in the United States.”

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team on the podium at the Trials in Houston.

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On January 29, 2014, the City of Los Angeles was awarded the 2016 U.S Olympic Team Trials—Marathon for both men and women. At the time, it seemed a long way off.

The time has arrived, so … Welcome!

On Saturday, February 13, the best marathon runners in the country will take to the streets of Los Angeles, battling for the right to represent the U.S. in the Olympic Games this summer.

“For the past two years, we’ve been working hand-in-hand with the City of Los Angeles and our many partners and supporters to deliver the city’s biggest running weekend since the Olympic Games captured our hearts in 1984,” said Tracey Russell, Chief Executive of Conqur Endurance Group, the local organizing committee for these Trials.

“We’re proud and honored to have set the stage for the best distance runners in the country to show Los Angeles, America, and the world what they’re all about.”

The top three men and women will earn spots on Team USA for Rio. The list of favorites is led by defending champions and #1 qualifiers Meb Keflezighi and Shalane Flanagan, both of whom are Olympic medalists—Meb in the marathon (silver, 2004) and Shalane at 10,000 meters (bronze, 2008)—and looking to make their fourth Olympic teams.

But the glory isn’t all at the front of the pack: For many of the 375 or so athletes out there on Saturday, February 13, just qualifying to participate in these Trials is a mindboggling victory over obstacles that ranged from the everyday to the extraordinary.

From the labor-and-delivery nurse, the Ph.D. candidates, the CFO, the bridge engineer, or the woman who actually finished a marathon on crutches, the Road to Los Angeles has seldom been a cakewalk.

“I have had many nights where I have to get my training in after I've gotten everything done at 2200 [10 p.m.] or later,” says Kerry Calway, an active duty military intelligence officer with the U.S. Army. “When I was deployed to Iraq, I would hit the treadmill literally in the middle of the night.”

Calway, ranked #137 on the qualifying list with a time of 2:42:16, is also the

PRIZE MONEY MEN $80,000 $65,000 $55,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $13,000 $11,000 $9,000 $7,000 $300,000

The

olympics are part of

L.A. thanks to 1932, 1984 games youngest man to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon.

The 1984 Olympic Games would also see its share of “firsts.” With the local organizing committee led by Peter Ueberroth, the Games yielded surplus revenue so large—reportedly $232 million—that the proceeds, by way of the LA84 Foundation, still benefit Los Angeles in the form of youth-sports facilities, an Olympic research library, and more.

It would also see the first women’s Olympic Marathon, with 27-year-old Joan Benoit winning an emotional and historic gold medal and emerging as a role model not only for her generation but also for the ones that have followed.

The men’s marathon, featuring 107 athletes, for the first time finished as a kickoff to Closing Ceremonies. Won in 2:09:21 by Portugal’s Carlos Lopes, who at 37 is still the oldest man to win a marathon gold medal, the race provided plenty of excitement with all three eventual medalists on the track together as they headed for the Coliseum finish line.

But it was the women’s marathon that captured the world’s imagination, despite a boycott that kept most Soviet Bloc countries home. On August 5, 49 women left the Coliseum on their 26.2-mile race after a decade-long battle for inclusion.

Benoit came to L.A. on the heels of winning the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials just 17 days after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her knee, and led the Olympic Marathon wire to wire, entering the Coliseum to an unforgettable roar. Crossing the finish line, both arms triumphantly in the air as she waved her white painter’s cap, Benoit led Grete Waitz, Rosa Mota and 41 other finishers into the history books, launching a new era for women’s running.

As if to prove beyond all doubt that women had earned the right to be there, Benoit’s time of 2:24:52 was faster than that of 13 of the previous 20 men’s marathon winners.

“I was happy to be in the right place at the right time,” Joan Benoit Samuelson told Competitor.com last year.

That place was Los Angeles.

Information drawn from “The Olympic Marathon,” by David E. Martin and Roger W.H. Gynn; the 1932 Olympic Games Official Report, and the Los Angeles Times.

Courtesy LA84

Three years before the 1932 Olympic Games opened in Los Angeles, a suggestion was made: In honor of the 10th Olympiad, let’s rename 10th Street “Olympic Boulevard.”

It was a route to the future. Not only did Los Angeles host those Olympics, but also the 1984 Summer Games, and it recently became the U.S. city entrusted to bid for the honors in 2024, as well.

“The Olympics are part of L.A.,” LA84 Foundation historian Wayne Wilson recently told the Los Angeles Times.

As the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials come to Los Angeles for the first time, let’s take a look back at marathon highlights from those Games.

In 1932, amid the Great Depression, almost 1,500 athletes from 37 countries made the long journey to Los Angeles—remember, this was the era of ships and trains, not non-stop trans-Atlantic flights. The trip was measured in days, if not weeks.

When they arrived, something new awaited the 1,281 male athletes: an Olympic Village of 550 bungalows, conceived as a way to help lure teams to participate in the Games by providing less-expensive accommodations. (The 127 female athletes, however, were still housed in hotels.) It was also the first Summer Games to feature a victory podium on which athletes received their medals.

Determined to keep ticket prices low for a beleaguered public, organizers charged $3 for the Opening Ceremony, and children’s tickets to all events were just 50 cents. Unexpectedly large crowds turned out, and the Games reportedly ended in the black.

The centerpiece for the Games was the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which opened on May 1, 1923, and was expanded to seat 101,574 for the Olympics. It was in this majestic structure that the marathon began and ended, with the estimated 80,000 spectators on hand being treated to a high-jump competition that featured Babe Didrikson before the 29 starters in the marathon began their journey.

Leading the men—there would be no women’s marathon for 52 more years—out of the stadium and past throngs of cheering fans lining the course was Argentina’s Juan Zabala, and although he would lose his advantage several times during the race, he would eventually lead the 20 finishers back in, fighting exhaustion to win in 2:31:36.

At 20 years, 9 months, he remains the

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COURSE MAP 10 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

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2016

U.S. OLympic TEAM TRIALS—MARATHON

FAST FACtS Men’s Qualifiers Individuals

211

“A” Standard “B” Standard

27 184

Time standard=2:15:00 (A); 2:19 (B) Also “B”: half-marathon=1:05:00 By marathon By half-marathon

86 125

Women’s Qualifiers Individuals 246 “A” Standard “B” Standard

42 204

Time standard = 2:37:00 (A); 2:45:00 (B) Also “B”: half-marathon = 1:15:00 By marathon By half-marathon

198 48

Average Age of Entered Qualifiers As of January 25, 2016 Men 28.2 Women 30.5 Oldest Qualifier Entered (age on February 13, 2016) Kevin Castille, 43, Lafayette, LA (born March 17, 1972) Colleen De Reuck, 51, Boulder, CO (born April 13, 1964) Youngest Qualifier Entered (age on February 13, 2016) Arya Bahreini, 22, Edmond, OK (born January 22, 1994) Alana Hadley, 19, Charlotte, NC (born January 8, 1997)

Masters (40 & older) Qualifiers Entered Men 2 Women 11 STATE SUMMARY 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials entrants (as of January 25, 2016) live or train in 41 states plus Washington, DC. The Trials male entrants come from 36 states and the Trials female entrants were from 38 states plus Washington, DC. There were 9 states without Trials entrants: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

States with the most qualifiers entered: California 54 men (24) women (30) Colorado 46 men (22) women (24) Oregon 23 men (11) women (12) Arizona 22 men (16) women (6) Texas 22 men (9) women (13) Michigan 21 men (11) women (10) MOST TEAM MEMBERS ENTERED Oiselle = 18, women Hansons-Brooks Distance Project = 13, women (7) and men (6) New York Athletic Club (NYAC) = 10, women (5) and men (5) ASICS Aggies Running Club = 8, women (2) and men (6) Boston Athletic Association (BAA) = 8, women (4) and men (4) ASICS Mammoth Track Club = 8, women (4) and men (4) FOREIGN BORN Men(13) Abdi Abdirahman Abdelaaziz Atmani Shadrack Biwott Josphat Boit

Somalia Morocco Kenya Kenya

Sam Chelanga Diego Estrada Meb Keflezighi Elkanah Kibet Augustus Maiyo Girma Mecheso Aron Rono Mike Sayenko Abbabiya Simbassa

Kenya Mexico Eritrea Kenya Kenya Ethiopia Kenya Ukraine Ethiopia

Women (11) Mary Akor Janet Bawcom Yihunlish Bekele Misiker Demissie Colleen De Reuck Magdalena Lewy Boulet Yelena Nanaziashvili Adriana Nelson Nuta Olaru Jane Vongvorachoti Hiruni Wijayaratne

Nigeria Kenya Ethiopia Ethiopia South Africa Poland Kazakhstan Romania Romania Thailand Sri Lanka

FAMILY AFFAIR QUALIFIERS Husband and Wife (2) Ryan & Sara Hall Cole & Esther Atkins Emma & Drew Polley Tim & Lindsay Tollefson Father and Son (2) Jeff Reneau (1968) & Michael Reneau (2008/2012/2016) Danny Grimes (1984) & Bennett Grimes (2016) Brother and Sister Brendan Gregg (2016) & Kaitlin Gregg Goodman (2016) FLUID STATIONS With about 375 athletes, the Trials will host the largest elite-fluid operation ever, with 3,000 fluid bottles on the course.

Continued on page 16

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 13

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Partnering with the local brand consultancy Innovation Protocol, we leveraged a thirty-year history of designing, marketing, and executing endurance events in Los Angeles and paired it with a vision of supporting the triumph of limits for every athlete, every partner, and every charity we impact.

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FAST FACtS 2016 MEN’s OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS FAST FACtS Most Olympic Marathon Trials (4) Meb Kelflezighi, 40, San Diego, CA 7 Olympians (all events) Abdi Abdirahman (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) Diego Estrada (2012 for Mexico) Ryan Hall (2008, 2012) Meb Keflezighi (2000, 2004, 2012) Dathan Ritzenhein (2004, 2008, 2012) Galen Rupp (2008, 2012) Matt Tegenkamp (2008, 2012) 4 Olympians (marathon) Abdi Abdirahman (2012) Ryan Hall (2008, 2012) Meb Keflezighi (2004, 2012, silver medal 2004) Dathan Ritzenhein (2008) 5 Current U.S. Record Holders Ryan Hall (2): half-marathon (59:43) and 30K (1:28:38) Max King (1): 100K (6:27:44) Christo Landry (1): 25K (1:14:18) Dathan Ritzenhein (1): 20K (56:48) Galen Rupp (3): 3000m & 5000m indoors (7:30.16, 13:01.26) and 10,000m (26:44.36) Matt Tegenkamp, 2 mile (8:07.07), unofficial 7 USA Marathon Champions (8 titles) Ryan Hall (2007) Fernando Cabada (2008) Meb Keflezighi (2009, 2012) Sergio Reyes (2010) Nick Arciniaga (2013) Tyler Pennel (2014) Jared Ward (2015) MOST USA TITLES Meb Keflezighi, 22 (16 road, 3 track and 3 cross country) Abdi Abdirahman, 14 (10 road and 4 track) Max King, 9 (8 trail and 1 mountain) Joseph Gray, 8

16 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

(2 road, 1 trail and 5 mountain) Galen Rupp, 8 (8 track) 22 PAST USA CHAMPIONS with 101 national titles combined Meb Keflezighi 22 Abdi Abdirahman 14 Max King 9 Joseph Gray 8 Galen Rupp 8 Matt Tegenkamp 7 Ryan Hall 5 Dathan Ritzenhein 4 Fernando Cabada 3 Chris Derrick 3 Jared Ward 3 Sam Chelanga 2 Diego Estrada 2 Sean Quigley 2 Patrick Smyth 2 Nick Arciniaga 1 Aaron Braun 1 Brett Gotcher 1 Girma Mecheso 1 Tyler Pennel 1 Sergio Reyes 1 Tim Tollefson 1 Most Olympic Marathon Trials (4)

2016 WOMEN’s OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS FAST FACtS Mary Akor, 39 Hawthorne, CA Colleen De Reuck, 51, Boulder, CO Deena Kastor, 42, Mammoth Lakes, CA Brett Ely, 36, Eugene, OR 13 Olympians (all events) Janet Bawcom (2012) Kim Conley (2012) Amy Cragg (2012) Colleen De Reuck (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004) Shalane Flanagan (2004, 2008 – two events, 2012) Kara Goucher (2008 – two events, 2012) Molly Huddle (2012) Deena Kastor (2000, 2004, 2008) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2008)

Nuta Olaru (2004 for Romania) Jen Rhines (2000, 2004, 2008) Blake Russell (2008) Joanna Zeiger (2000 in the Triathlon) 9 Olympians (marathon) Desiree (Davila) Linden (2012) Colleen De Reuck (1996, 2000, 2004) Shalane Flanagan (2012) Kara Goucher (2012) Deena Kastor (2004, 2008, bronze medal 2004) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2008) Nuta Olaru (2004 for Romania) Jen Rhines (2004) Blake Russell (2008) 5 Current U.S. Record Holders Janet Bawcom (1): 10 mile women-only (52:12) Colleen De Reuck (1): U.S. All-Comers 10 mile (51:16) Shalane Flanagan (7): 3000m & 5000m indoors (8:33.25, 14:47.62), 10,000m (30:22.22), 10K (31:03), 15K (47:00), 25K (1:22:36) and marathon women-only (2:25:38) Molly Huddle (4): 5000m (14:42.64), 5K (14:50), 12K (37:50) and half-marathon women-only (1:08:31) Deena Kastor (6): 8K (24:36), 10 miles (51:31) 20K (1:04:07), half marathon (1:07:34), 30K (1:39:08) and marathon (2:19:36) 6 USA Marathon Champions (9 titles) Deena Kastor (2001, 2007-08) Colleen De Reuck (2004) Shalane Flanagan (2010, 2012) Annie Bersagel (2013) Esther (Erb) Atkins (2014) Blake Russell (2015) MOST USA TITLES Deena Kastor, 25 (12 road, 5 track and 8 cross country) Molly Huddle, 21 (18 road and 3 track) Shalane Flanagan, 18 (6 road, 6 track and 6 cross country) Janet Bawcom, 10 (10 road) Colleen De Reuck, 10

FAST FACtS (8 road and 2 cross country) 28 PAST USA CHAMPIONS with 135 national titles combined Deena Kastor 25 Molly Huddle 21 Shalane Flanagan 18 Colleen De Reuck 10 Janet Bawcom 10 Katie McGregor 7 Jen Rhines 5 Elva Dryer 4 Kara Goucher 4 Blake Russell 4 Amy Cragg 3 Sara Hall 3 Annie Bersagel 2 Kim Conley 2 Esther Erb 2 Magdalena Lewy Boulet 2 Renee Metivier Baillie 2 Serena Burla 1 Camille Herron 1 Lisa (Uhl) Koll 1 Dot McMahan 1 Adriana Nelson 1 Meghan Peyton 1 Emily Potter 1 Jodie Robertson 1 Lindsey Scherf 1 Kellyn Taylor 1 Laura Thweatt 1 WONDER WOMAN Three-time OMT qualifier Joanna Zeiger, 45, has also qualified for the Olympic Trials in two other sports: Triathlon (2000, 2004 and 2008) and Swimming (1988 and 1992).

Men’s Olympic Marathon (1968-2012): Medalists & U.S. Results 1968 Mexico City, Mexico Sunday, October 20, point-to-point course Competitors: 75, Finishers: 57, Nations: 41 WR: 2:09:37, Derek Clayton (AUS) 1) Mamo Wolde

ETH

2:20:27

2) Kenji Kimihara 3) Michael Ryan 14) Kenny Moore 16) George Young 22) Ron Daws

JPN NZL USA USA USA

2:23:31 2:23:45 2:29:50 2:31:15 2:33:53

1972 Munich, Germany Sunday, September 10 Competitors: 74, Finishers: 62, Nations: 39 WR: 2:08:34, Derek Clayton (AUS) 1) 2) 3) 4) 9)

Frank Shorter Karel Lismont Mamo Wolde Kenny Moore Jack Bacheler

USA BEL ETH USA USA

2:12:20 2:14:32 2:15:09 2:15:40 2:17:39

1976 Montreal, Canada Saturday, July 31 Competitors: 67, Finisher: 60, Nations: 36 WR: 2:08:34, Derek Clayton (AUS) 1)

Waldemar Cierpinski GDR Olympic Record 2) Frank Shorter USA 3) Karel Lismont BEL 4) Don Kardong USA 40)Bill Rodgers USA

USA

DNF

1988 Seoul, South Korea Sunday, October 2 Competitors: 118, Finishers: 98, Nations: 66 WR: 2:06:50, Belayneh Densimo (ETH) 1) 2) 3) 14) 29)

Gelindo Bordin ITA 2:10:32 Douglas Wakiihuri KEN 2:10:47 Ahmed Salah DJI 2:10:59 Pete Pfitzinger USA 2:14:44 Ed Eyestone USA 2:19:09 Mark Conover USA DNF 51) Gary Fanelli USA* 2:25:35 *Represented American Samoa (U.S. territory).

1992 Barcelona, Spain Sunday, August 9, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:14:00 Competitors: 110, Finishers: 87, Nations: 72 WR: 2:06:50, Belayneh Densimo (ETH)

2:09:55, 2:10:46 2:11:13 2:11:16 2:25:15

1980 Moscow, Soviet Union Friday, August 1 Competitors: 74, Finishers: 53, Nations: 40 WR: 2:08:34, Derek Clayton (AUS) 1) Waldemar Cierpinski GDR 2:11:03 2) Gerald Nijboer HOL 2:11:20 3) Satymkul Dzhumanazarov URS 2:11:35 U.S. boycott, marathon team members were: Tony Sandoval, Benji Durden and Kyle Heffner.

1984 Los Angeles, United States Sunday, August 12, point-to-point course Competitors: 107, Finishers: 78, Nations: 59 WR: 2:08:18, Rob De Castella (AUS) 1) Carlos Lopes POR Olympic Record 2) John Treacy IRL 3) Charles Spedding GBR 11) Pete Pfitzinger USA 15) Alberto Salazar USA

John Tuttle

1) 2) 3) 12) 13) 17)

Hwang Young-Jo Koichi Morishita Stephan Freigang Steve Spence Ed Eyestone Bob Kempainen

KOR JPN GER USA USA USA

2:13:23 2:13:45 2:14:00 2:15:21 2:15:23 2:15:53

1996 Atlanta, United States Sunday, August 4 Time standard = 2:16:00 (A); 2:25:00 (B) Competitors: 124, Finishers: 111, Nations: 79 WR: 2:06:50, Belayneh Densimo (ETH) 1) 2) 3) 28) 31) 41)

Josiah Thugwane RSA Lee Bong-Ju KOR Eric Wainaina KEN Keith Brantly USA Bob Kempainen USA Mark Coogan USA

2:12:36 2:12:39 2:12:44 2:18:17 2:18:38 2:20:27

2:09:21,

2000 Sydney, Australia Sunday, October 1, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:14:00 (A); 2:20:00 (B) Competitors: 100, Finishers: 81, Nations: 66 WR: 2:05:42, Khalid Khannouchi (USA)

2:09:56 2:09:58 2:13:53 2:14:19

1) Gezahenge Abera 2) Eric Wainaina 3) Tesfaye Tola 69) Rod DeHaven

ETH KEN ETH USA

2:10:11 2:10:31 2:11:10 2:30:46

Continued on page 19

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 17

THE ROAD TO RIO on c

FAST FACtS 2004 Athens, Greece Sunday, August 29, hilly, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:15:00 (A); 2:18:00 (B) Marathon to Athens Competitors: 101, Finishers: 81, Nations: 60 WR: 2:04:55, Paul Tergat (KEN) 1) Stefano Baldini ITA 2:10:55 2) Meb Keflezighi USA 2:11:29 3) Vanderlei de Lima BRA 2:12:11 12) Alan Culpepper USA 2:15:26 65)Dan Browne USA 2:27:17 2008 Beijing, China Sunday, August 24, flat, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:15:00 (A); 2:18:00 (B) Competitors: 98, Finishers: 76, Nations: 57 WR: 2:04:26, Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 1)

Sammy Wanjiru Olympic Record 2) Jaouad Gharib 3) Tsegay Kebede 9) Dathan Ritzenhein 10) Ryan Hall 22) Brian Sell

KEN

2:06:32,

MAR ETH USA USA USA

2:07:16 2:10:00 2:11:59 2:12:33 2:16:07

2012 London, Great Britain Sunday, August 12, multi-turn 8-mile loop course Time standard = 2:15:00 (A); 2:18:00 (B) Competitors: 105, Finishers: 85, Nations: 67 WR: 2:03:38, Patrick Makau (KEN) 1) Stephen Kiprotich 2) Abel Kirui 3) Wilson Kipsang 4) Meb Keflezighi Abdi Abdirahman injury Ryan Hall

UGA KEN KEN USA USA

2:08:01 2:08:27 2:09:37 2:11:06 DNF

USA

DNF

WOMen’s Olympic Marathon (1984-2012): Medalists & U.S. Results 1984 Los Angeles, United States Sunday, August 5, point-to-point course Competitors: 50, Finishers: 44, Nations: 28 WR: 2:22:43, Joan Benoit (USA)

1)

Joan Benoit USA 2:24:52, Olympic Record (inaugural event) 2) Grete Waitz NOR 2:26:18 3) Rosa Mota POR 2:26:57 36) Julie Brown USA 2:47:33 Julie Isphording USA DNF 1988 Seoul, South Korea Friday, September 23 Competitors: 69, Finishers: 64, Nations: 39 WR: 2:21:06, Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) 1) 2) 3) 17) 39) 40)

Rosa Mota Lisa Martin Katrin Dorre Nancy Ditz Margaret Groos Cathy O’Brien

POR AUS GDR USA USA USA

2:25:40 2:25:53 2:26:21 2:33:42 2:40:59 2:41:04

1992 Barcelona, Spain Saturday, August 1, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:35:00 Competitors: 47, Finishers: 37, Nations: 31 WR: 2:21:06, Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) 1) Valentina Yegorova RUS 2) Yuko Arimori JPN 3) Lorraine Moller NZL 10) Cathy O’Brien USA 12) Francie Larrieu Smith USA 21) Janis Klecker USA

2:32:41 2:32:49 2:33:59 2:39:42 2:41:09 2:47:17

1996 Atlanta, United States Sunday, July 28 Time standard = 2:35:00 (A); 2:50:00 (B) Competitors: 86, Finishers: 65, Nations: 51 WR: 2:21:06, Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) 1) Fatuma Roba 2) Valentina Yegorova 3) Yuko Arimori 10) Anne Marie Lauck 31) Linda Somers Jenny Spangler

ETH RUS JPN USA USA USA

2:26:05 2:28:05 2:28:39 2:31:30 2:36:58 DNF

2000 Sydney, Australia Sunday, September 24, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:33:00 (A); 2:45:00 (B) Competitors: 54, Finishers: 45, Nations: 36 WB: 2:20:43, Tegla Loroupe (KEN) 1) Naoko Takahashi Olympic Record

2) Lidia Simon 3) Joyce Chepchumba 19) Chris Clark

ROM KEN USA

2:23:22 2:24:45 2:31:35

2004 Athens, Greece Sunday, August 22, hilly, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:37:00 (A); 2:42:00 (B) Marathon to Athens Competitors: 82, Finishers: 66, Nations: 47 WR: 2:15:25, Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 1) 2) 3) 34) 39)

Mizuki Noguchi Catherine Ndereba Deena Kastor Jen Rhines Colleen De Reuck

JPN KEN USA USA USA

2:26:20 2:26:32 2:27:20 2:43:52 2:46:30

2008 Beijing, China Sunday, August 17, flat, point-to-point course Time standard = 2:37:00 (A); 2:42:00 (B) Competitors: 82, Finishers: 69, Nations: 46 WR: 2:15:25, Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 1) Constantina Tomescu Dita ROU 2:26:44 2) Catherine Ndereba KEN 2:27:06 3) Chunxiu Zhou CHN 2:27:07 27) Blake Russell USA 2:33:13 Deena Kastor USA DNF (broken right foot) Magdalena Lewy Boulet USADNF (knee injury) 2012 London, Great Britain Sunday, August 5, multi-turn, 8-mile loop course Time standard = 2:37:00 (A); 2:43:00 (B) Competitors: 118, Finishers: 107, Nations: 67 WR: 2:15:25, Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 1) Tiki Gelana ETH 2:23:07 Olympic Record 2) Priscah Jeptoo KEN 2:23:12 3) Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova RUS 2:23:29 10) Shalane Flanagan USA 2:25:51 11) Kara Goucher USA 2:26:07 Desiree (Davila) Linden USA DNF (injury) SOURCE: EventPRO

JPN 2:23:14,

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 19

U.S. Men’s olympic marathon trials history Since 1968, the U.S. Olympic Marathon team has been selected at a singular Trials race, with the top three earning spots on the men’s team (recently, providing they meet certain Olympic time standards). Before 1968, the team was selected based on results from a series of marathon races.

1968: Alamosa, Colorado George Young won the Trials in his marathon debut, but at the Mexico City Olympics it was the 3000m steeplechase in which he won a bronze medal.

1) 2) 3)

George Young (AZ) Kenny Moore (OR) Ron Daws (MN)

2:30:48 (debut) 2:31:47 2:33:09

1972: Eugene, Oregon Frank Shorter and Kenny Moore intentionally tied. Shorter went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Munich.

1) 1) 3)

Kenny Moore (OR) Frank Shorter (CO) Jack Bacheler (FL)

2:15:58 2:15:58 2:20:30

1976: Eugene, Oregon Frank Shorter is the only man to win two Olympic Marathon Trials.

1) 2) 3)

Frank Shorter (FL) Bill Rodgers (MA) Don Kardong (WA)

2:11:51 2:11:58 2:13:54

1980: Buffalo, New York Because of the 1980 Olympic boycott by the U.S., the team did not compete in Moscow.

1) 2) 3)

Tony Sandoval (NM) Benji Durden (GA) Kyle Heffner (TX)

2:10:19 2:10:41 2:10:55

1984: Buffalo, New York Pete Pfitzinger lost his lead in the last mile only to reclaim it for the victory.

1) 2) 3)

Pete Pfitzinger (NY) Alberto Salazar (OR) John Tuttle (GA)

2:11:43 2:11:44 2:11:50

1988: Jersey City, New Jersey Mark Conover’s win was a major upset.

1) 2) 3)

Mark Conover (CA) Ed Eyestone (UT) Pete Pfitzinger (MA)

2:12:26 2:12:49 2:13:09

1992: Columbus, Ohio Bill Reifsnyder and Keith Brantly tried to run away with the Trials race, but near 22 miles, the trio of Steve Spence, Ed Eyestone and Bob Kempainen caught the duo.

1) 2) 3)

Steve Spence (PA) Ed Eyestone (UT) Bob Kempainen (MN)

2:12:43 2:12:51 2:12:54

1996: Charlotte, North Carolina Bob Kempainen won despite vomiting several times near the end of the race.

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Bob Kempainen (MN) Mark Coogan (CO) Keith Brantly (FL)

2:12:45 2:13:05 2:13:22

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2000: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Because winner Rod DeHaven had only the Olympic “B” time standard, he was the sole representative for the U.S. men in the Olympic Marathon, the only time in history the U.S. did not field a full men’s team.

Ryan Hall praises his 2008 Trials victory.

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Rod DeHaven (WI) Peter DeLaCerda (CO) Mark Coogan (MD)

2:15:30 2:16:18 2:17:04 Continued on page 23

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 21

U.S. Men’s olympic marathon trials history PhotoRun.net

2004: Birmingham, Alabama Meb Keflezighi would go on to win an Olympic silver medal in Athens.

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Alan Culpepper (CO) Meb Keflezighi (CA) Dan Browne (OR)

2:11:42 2:11:47 2:12:02

Meb Keflezighi breaks the tape in 2012 to make his third Olympic team.

2008: New York City, New York Ryan Hall, who retired last month, ran a brave and brilliant race for the only marathon victory of his career, in a still-standing Trials record.

1) 2) 3)

Ryan Hall (CA) Dathan Ritzenhein (OR) Brian Sell (MI)

2:09:02 2:11:07 2:11:40

2012: Houston, Texas For the first time, the top four men all ran under 2:10 at the Trials.

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Meb Keflezighi (CA) Ryan Hall (CA) Abdi Abdirahman (AZ)

2:09:08 2:09:30 2:09:47

U.S. WOMen’s olympic marathon trials history Unlike the men, Olympic Marathon team selection for U.S. women has always been determined at the Olympic Trials, a one-day final.

1984: Olympia, Washington Joan Benoit won just 17 days after arthroscopic surgery on her knee. She would go on to win a historic gold medal in the first-ever Olympic Marathon for women.

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Joan Benoit (ME) Julie Brown (OR) Julie Isphording (OH)

2:31:04 2:31:41 2:32:26

1988: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Cathy O’Brien, at the age of 20, is still the youngest woman to make a U.S. Olympic Marathon team.

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Margaret Groos (FL) Nancy Ditz (CA) Cathy O’Brien (NH)

2:29:50 2:30:14 2:30:18

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1992: Houston, Texas Janis Klecker fell 15 miles into the race, only to be helped up by Cathy O’Brien before going on to win.

At the 1984 Trials (from left): Lisa (Larsen) Rainsberger, Betty Jo Geiger, and Joan (Benoit) Samuelson.

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Janis Klecker (MN) Cathy O’Brien (NH) Francie Larrieu Smith (TX)

2:30:12 2:30:26 2:30:39 Continued on page 25

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 23

U.S. WOMen’s olympic marathon trials history 1996: Columbia, South Carolina Jenny Spangler was largely unknown before winning in a huge upset.

1) 2) 3)

Jenny Spangler (IL) Linda Somers (CA) Anne Marie Lauck (GA)

2:29:54 2:30:06 2:31:18

2000: Columbia, South Carolina As with the men that year, the top woman only had the Olympic “B” time standard, good for one team spot.

1) 2) 3)

Chris Clark (AK) Kristy Johnston (WV) Anne Marie Lauck (NJ)

2:33:31 2:35:36 2:36:05

2008: Boston, Massachusetts Deena Kastor came back to win after being upset in 2004.

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Deena Kastor (CA) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (CA) Blake Russell (CA)

2:29:35 2:30:19 2:32:40

2012: Houston, Texas Five women finished under 2:30 in the Trials for the first time, with Shalane Flanagan setting a Trials record.

1) 2) 3)

Shalane Flanagan (OR) Desiree (Davila) Linden (MI) Kara Goucher (OR)

2:25:38 2:25:55 2:26:06

SOURCE: EventPRO 2004: St. Louis, Missouri Colleen De Reuck, at 39, is the oldest woman to make a U.S. Olympic Marathon team in an upset over Deena Kastor, who would go on to win the Olympic bronze medal.

Colleen De Reuck (CO) Deena Kastor (CA) Jen Rhines (CA)

2:28:25 2:29:38 2:29:57

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1) 2) 3)

The 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Team on the Trials victory stand in Boston. From left, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Deena Kastor, and Blake Russell. Behind Kastor is then-Mayor Thomas Menino.

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 25

a

Glance at the men’s Field Meb Keflezighi

The Favorites

Age: 40 / Resides: San Diego, CA Qualifying Rank: #1, 2:08:37 Career Highlight: 2004 Olympic silver medal, marathon If you enter “makes history when least expected” into a search engine, “Meb” might come up. In 2004, Meb became the first U.S. man to win an Olympic medal in the marathon since Frank Shorter in 1976. In 2009, after coming back from a pelvic stress fracture sustained in the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials, he won the New York City Marathon and became the first American to break the tape there since Alberto Salazar in 1982. In 2012, when he won the Olympic Marathon Trials at the age of 36 years, 257 days, he became the oldest Trials champion in history. And in 2014, the year after the finish-line bombings, Meb became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983, in one of the most poignant victories in the history of sports. If Meb makes the team in Los Angeles, he will be the oldest male U.S. Olympic marathoner in history, and the only one to make three marathon teams. Bet against him. We dare you.

Fast Fact: Meb met his future wife, Yordanos, shortly before the 2004 Olympics; on their first date, right after he landed from Athens, he presented her with the flowers he received on the Olympic medal stand. They now have three daughters: Sara, 9; Fiyori, 7; and Yohana, 6.

Dathan Ritzenhein Age: 33 / Resides: Rockford, MI Qualifying Rank: #2, 2:09:45 Career Highlight: 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon bronze medalist When Dathan Ritzenhein is healthy, he’s one of the most consistent and respected distance runners in America—and his ability to come back time after time from injury also makes him one of the toughest. After losing almost all of 2011 to an Achilles injury and nasty post-surgical infection, Ritzenhein was devastated to finish fourth at the Olympic Marathon Trials in January 2012, just missing the team. Thrillingly, he rebounded to make Team USA that summer at 10,000 meters, and a few months later became the third-fastest U.S. marathoner of all time (behind Khalid Khannouchi and Ryan Hall) when he ran 2:07:47 in Chicago. In 2014, he was able to race only once because of an ankle injury, but once again he appears to have come back strong.

Fast Fact: With the retirement of Alan Webb and Ryan Hall, Ritzenhein is the last of the “Big Three” of the famed high school Class of 2001 to still be running competitively (although Webb has become a triathlete).

GALEN RUPP Age: 29 / Resides: Portland, OR Qualifying Rank: #2 Half Marathon, 1:01:20 Career Highlight: 2012 Olympic silver medalist, 10,000 meters

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When Rupp announced on Jan. 28 that he would compete in the Trials, he immediately became one of the favorites to make the team, despite the fact that it will be his debut at the distance. The 10,000-meter American record-holder (26:44.36) has raced only two half marathons, but the first, a 1:00:30 at the NYC Half in 2011, vaulted him into the #5 spot all-time in the U.S. and hinted at a promising marathon future. It doesn’t hurt that he’s coached by three-time New York City Marathon winner Alberto Salazar. If Rupp doesn’t make any rookie mistakes, he could become the first man to earn a spot on Team USA in his marathon debut since George Young in 1968.

Fast Fact: Rupp’s medal in London was the first by an American man at 10,000 meters since Billy Mills won gold in 1964.

26 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

LUKE PUSKEDRA Age: 26 / Resides: Eugene, OR Qualifying Rank: #3, 2:10:24 Career Highlight: 5th, 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2:10:24)

Bobby Curtis Age: 31 / Resides: Berkley, MI Qualifying Rank: #6, 2:11:20 Career Highlight: 2nd, 2015 USA Cross Country Championships and 2013 USA 15K Championships Curtis, the 2008 NCAA Champion at 5000 meters while at Villanova, has represented the USA three times (2009, 2010, and 2015) at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He ran 2:16:44 at the 2011 New York City Marathon in his debut at the distance, and in 2013 joined the HansonsBrooks Original Distance Project, running 2:13:24 in 2013 at Fukuoka and 2:11:20 in Chicago in 2014 to put himself in the Trials conversation. His 10,000m personal best of 27:24.67, making him the seventh-fastest American in history, won’t hurt his chances on Feb. 13.

Fast Fact: Earlier in his career suffered from insomnia so severe that he didn’t run for months.

Jeff Eggleston Age: 31 / Resides: Boulder, CO Qualifying Rank: #4, 2:10:52 Career Highlight: 13th, 2013 IAAF World Championships Marathon (2:14:23), top American Jeff Eggleston wasn’t a star in high school, and was by his own description a “modest” performer in college. Better suited to the post-collegiate scene, his passion for running was ignited when he finished 10th at the USA 20K Championships in 2007. In 2009 he headed to Flagstaff, AZ, with little more than a backpack, and was tutored by famed coach Jack Daniels while working part-time at the public library. Since tasting success with a 2:14:32 marathon debut in 2010, Eggleston has represented the U.S. three times in the IAAF World Championships Marathon, and in 2014 had the #2 U.S. marathon time (2:10:52). In 2013 he moved to Boulder, CO, where he coaches himself and trains alone. If any of the favorites falter, this veteran might be next in line.

Fast Fact: Was the #8 qualifier for the 2012 Trials, but did not compete because of a knee injury.

Elkanah Kibet Age: 32 / Resides: Fort Bragg, NC Qualifying Rank: #7, 2:11:31 Career Highlight: 7th, 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (2:11:31) Kenya native Elkanah Kibet won two national junior college titles at Rend Lake (IL) College while mentoring new student Stephen Sambu, then went on to a solid career at Auburn before joining the U.S. Army. In 2012, he visited Sambu—who trains in Tucson with, among others, Bernard Lagat—and learned the ways of a top-level athlete. Upon returning from a deployment in March 2015, he resumed training and was accepted into Chicago for his marathon debut, where his ambitious goal to run 2:10 prompted him to take the lead early. He was quickly reeled in, but still ran with the leaders until Mile 19. Was his performance in Chicago beginner’s luck or a shot across the bow of the Trials favorites?

Fast Fact: Became a U.S. citizen in 2013. From June 2014 to March 2015, was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, limiting his training.

Ryan Vail

Fernando Cabada

Age: 29 / Resides: Portland, OR Qualifying Rank: #5, 2:10:57 Career Highlight: IAAF Cross Country Championships Team Silver Medalist, 2013

Age: 33 / Resides: Fresno, CA Qualifying Rank: #8, 2:11:36 Career Highlight: 2008 USA Marathon Champion Fernando Cabada stunned the running world back in 2006 when he shattered Ed Eyestone’s American record in winning the USA 25K Championships, and later that year ran 2:12:27 at the Fukuoka Marathon in his debut at the distance. But it proved to be the beginning of a roller-coaster career.

After a disappointing 2007, he won the USA Marathon title in 2008 but was forced to miss the IAAF World Championships with an injury that sent things on a downward spiral again. By 2011 he had picked himself up to win the USA 25K title, and in 2012 was happy with a seventh-place finish at the Trials. In 2014, he moved back home to Fresno and set personal bests in both the marathon

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At Oklahoma State, Ryan Vail led the Cowboys to the 2009 NCAA cross country crown and met his future wife, teammate Eva Tomankova; after graduation they headed to her native Czech Republic so that she could attend graduate school. Upon their return, Vail made his marathon debut at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 11th. In 2013, Vail helped the U.S. to its first IAAF World Cross Country silver medal since 1984 and finished as top American in the New York City Marathon. Vail has battled injuries in 2015 and he didn’t begin running on solid ground until late November, but he wrote recently on his blog that he is al-

The Rest of the Top Qualifiers

Luke Puskedra chased national titles at 20K and the half marathon in 2012—while still in college—before a devastating 2:28:54 debut at the 2014 New York City Marathon sent him reeling.

He lost his shoe contract and started looking into other careers.

When they relocated for his wife’s new job, his future was clear: He was giving up on running. But the job was in Eugene, where running wasn’t ready to give up on Puskedra. There, he began to reconsider his previous all-or-nothing approach to the sport—partly due to the birth of his daughter, Penelope, last July. In October, his new philosophy paid off with a 2:10:24, fifth-place finish in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, making him the fastest American for 2015. He’s re-signed with Nike and vows to finally allow the distractions of what he calls a “real life.”

Fast Fact: Even at 6 feet, 4 inches, Puskedra wouldn’t be the tallest man to make a U.S. Olympic Marathon team. Jack Bacheler, in 1972, has been listed at 6 feet, 7 inches.

most back to where he needs to be. If so, he’s one to watch.

Fast Fact: Loves to travel; among the places he and his wife have visited are Cambodia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Morocco, Peru, and Patagonia; they plan to leave for Cuba a few days after the Trials.

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 27

and half marathon.

Fast Fact: Growing up in a family of immigrant farmworkers with his father in and out of prison, Cabada struggled to finish college, bouncing around and taking odd jobs and long breaks from running until finally landing at Virginia Intermont.

Nick Arciniaga Age: 32 / Resides: Flagstaff, AZ Qualifying Rank: #9, 2:11:47 Career Highlight: 2013 USA Marathon Champion Despite never making state in high school or NCAAs at Cal State-Fullerton, Nick Arciniaga has had a long career—the Olympic Trials will be his 19th marathon, making him one of the most experienced runners in the field. He ran his first marathon almost 10 years ago. He has trained with both Hansons-Brooks and the former McMillan Elite and says that he’s learned from both groups, but feels that he thrives by coaching himself. In 2013, he not only won the USA Marathon title but was ranked #3 in the country, and he has twice finished in the top 10 at both Boston and New York. He’ll have plenty of support along the Trials course; having grown up in Orange County, he expects 100 friends or family members to cheer him on.

Fast Fact: A “Star Wars” fanatic, Arciniaga estimates he’s seen the Original Trilogy 100 times, and has twice won the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland. He ran the 2012 Boston Marathon in a singlet with a Rebel Alliance logo.

Matt Llano Age: 27 / Resides: Flagstaff, AZ Qualifying Rank: #11, 2:12:28 Career Highlight: 2015 BMW Berlin Marathon, 2:12:28, 13th overall and top American In 2011, Matt Llano was struck by an SUV while on a training run. He later developed difficulty breathing on long runs, and almost daily contemplated quitting the sport. But in 2013 he joined HOKA Northern Arizona Elite in Flagstaff and had a breakthrough, finishing seventh in the USA 20K Championships. In January 2014, he popped a 1:01:47 at the USA Half Marathon Championships, good for a spot on Team USA for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. After a disappointing marathon debut of 2:17:43 in 2014 at Chicago, he improved to 2:16:13 at the 2015 Los Angeles Marathon and then slashed his personal best by four minutes at the 2015 BMW Berlin Marathon, where he ran 2:12:28. Before Berlin, he was a guest in Shalane Flanagan’s home for several weeks, soaking up advice on the course from the woman who ran the second-fastest marathon in U.S. history there.

Fast Fact: In a blog post in December 2013 titled “It’s Time,” Llano came out publicly as gay, writing: “I want to help advance this movement in any way I can.”

You’ll Want to Keep An Eye On …

Diego Estrada Age: 26 / Resides: Flagstaff, AZ Qualifying Rank: #1 Half Marathon, 1:00:51 Career Highlight: 2015 USA Half Marathon Champion The men have several legitimate contenders for the team who are making their marathon debuts after qualifying with fast half marathons, and Estrada is one of them. Also the 2014 USA 5K Champion on the roads, Estrada’s 1:00:51 is the fastest half marathon by an American since Galen Rupp’s 2011 and the seventh-fastest ever. Although he became a U.S. citizen in 2011, confusion over his eligibility led him to accept an invitation to run the 10,000 meters for Mexico at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Fast Fact: Said his career took off when he finally learned to let someone else do the heavy landscaping and remodeling projects around the house.

Sam Chelanga Age: 30 / Resides: Tucson, AZ Qualifying Rank: #9 Half Marathon, 1:02:59 Career Highlight: 2015 USA Champion 12K and 10 Miles

Jared Ward Age: 27 / Resides: Provo UT Qualifying Rank: #15, 2:12:56 Career Highlight: 2015 USA Marathon Champion When an eligibility mix-up kept Ward from running cross country at BYU in the fall of 2013, his coach—two-time Olympic marathoner Ed Eyestone—suggested he train for a marathon instead. A career was born: In his debut, Ward ran 2:16:17 to finish as sixth American at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. In 2014, he slashed his personal best to 2:14:00 when he finished second in the USA Marathon Championships, and in 2015 ran 2:12:56, in winning the USA Marathon Championships. He also won USA titles at 20K and 25K last year.

His head-to-head racing talent and rapid rate of improvement make him worth watching, and it doesn’t hurt that he wrote his master’s thesis on “Optimal Pace Strategy in a Marathon.”

Fast Fact: Right after graduating from high school in 2007, Ward went on a two-year mission for the Mormon Church during which he hardly ever ran.

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Since becoming a U.S. citizen last August, Chelanga has already won two U.S. titles on the roads at 12K and 10 Miles, and finished as runner-up at 20K, as well. Don’t let his #9 qualifying time lull you, because Chelanga is the NCAA record-holder at

10,000 meters (27:08.49) and he has a half-marathon personal best of 1:01:04 from 2013, before the qualifying window opened.

If Chelanga’s still in the lead pack past halfway, his rivals will be wary of his speed, rookie or not.

Fast Fact: Joshua Chelanga, Sam’s brother, was third at the 2001 Boston Marathon, and has a personal best of 2:07:05. Sam was encouraged to begin running by his brother’s training partner, the legendary Paul Tergat.

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 29

USC SA ALUTES THE A AT THLETES OF F LA2016

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Glance

at the

The Favorites

Women’s Field

desiree linden Age: 32 / Resides: Washington, MI Qualifying Rank: #2, 2:23:54 Career Highlight: 2nd in 2011 Boston Marathon by just two seconds; best finish by an American woman since 1993 As with Flanagan, Boston has played a huge role in Linden’s career. Not only did she almost become the first American woman to win there since 1985, but in 2015 she led the race for 23 miles. Even in 2014, when she finished 10th, her time of 2:23:54 made her the fastest 10th-place woman in the history of marathoning. Linden finished second in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials to make the team, but was later forced to drop out of the Olympic Marathon in the early miles with a femoral stress fracture. She’s out for an Olympic “do-over” and will likely get the chance.

Fast Fact: Linden’s husband, Ryan, has qualified for the 2016 Ironman World Championships.

amy (hastings) cragg Age: 32 / Resides: Portland, OR Qualifying Rank: #3, 2:27:03 Career Highlight: 2012 Olympian, 10,000 meters Cragg’s career highlight grew out of its lowlight: After finishing a heartbreaking fourth in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, she won at 10,000 meters on the track to make the team for London after all. Cragg’s best marathons have been her first—a 2011 water-logged affair in Los Angeles in which she finished a strong second in 2:27:03, the third-fastest American debut ever—and her most recent, the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in which she was fourth in the same exact time. Has she finally found the key to making that next step?

Fast Fact: On November 8, 2014, married Irish Olympian Alistair Cragg.

They recently relocated from Providence, RI, to Portland, OR, where she is training with Flanagan.

Shalane Flanagan

DEENA KASTOR

Age: 34 / Resides: Portland, OR Qualifying Rank: #1, 2:21:14 Career Highlight: 2008 Olympic bronze medalist,10,000m

Age: 42/ Resides: Mammoth Lakes, CA Qualifying Rank: #4, 2:27:47 Career Highlight: 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, marathon

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The defending champion and second-fastest U.S. woman marathoner in history is a prohibitive favorite to make her fourth Olympic team.

An 18-time U.S. champion who holds six American records in distances from 3000-meters indoors to the marathon, she led her hometown Boston Marathon for the first 17 miles in 2014, finishing in 2:22:02 to become the fastest American woman in the race’s history.

Fast Fact: Mother, Cheryl Treworgy (neé Bridges), is a former marathon world recordholder (2:49:40) and father, Steve Flanagan, was a national-class cross country runner.

Choosing a career highlight for Kastor is like trying to pick a perfect chocolate from that massive gift sampler: You can’t go wrong, but you always worry that you’re missing something. Oops, there’s one: American recordholder (2:19:36). And a few more: two IAAF World Cross Country silver medals, 25 U.S. titles, six current American records. It wasn’t long ago that Kastor thought she might ease her way into retirement, but instead she’s gone on a rampage since turning 40 that so far includes an American masters record in the marathon and world masters records at six distances. Four years ago, no one, including Kastor, would have expected this three-time Olympian to be in contention for a fourth team. She is.

Fast Fact: Kastor will turn 43 the day after the Trials; her daughter, Piper, will turn 5 a week later.

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 31

the rest of the top qualifiers

Serena Burla

Misiker Demissie

Age: 33 / Resides: Stafford, VA Qualifying Rank: #5, 2:28:01 Career Highlight: 2014 U.S. Half Marathon Champion

Age: 29 / Resides: Colorado Springs, CO Qualifying Rank: #10, 2:29:02 Career Highlight: Two-time winner, Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon

That Burla is here at all is a blessing; that she has a shot at making Team USA for Rio is a story fit for Hollywood. In 2010, Burla had a cancerous tumor, along with the biceps femoral muscle, removed from her right hamstring. Her surgeon was unsure if she would be able to run again, but 10 months later Burla made her marathon debut and qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. Hypoglycemia forced her to drop out of that race, but her 2:28:01 runner-up finish in the Amsterdam Marathon made her the #2 woman in the U.S. in 2013, and puts her in contention for the team.

Fast Fact: Burla is married to University of Missouri teammate Adam Burla, a shot putter she met on the team bus. She says he only sat next to her so he would have more room.

Anne Bersagel Age: 32 / Resides: Oslo, Norway Qualifying Rank: #7, 2:28:29 Career Highlight: 2013 USA Marathon Champion Bersagel is the rare athlete who can compete at an international level while juggling a professional career. A Fulbright Scholar, she studied peace and conflict resolution at the University of Oslo, and met her future husband. After earning a law degree at Stanford and competing in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, she returned to Norway, where she works full-time as an advisor in responsible investments for a pension fund and insurance company.

On the way to winning the METRO GROUP Marathon in Düsseldorf, Germany, this spring, Bersagel fell at 10K and injured her knee. After surgery in June, she was on crutches for six weeks, and has called her quest to be ready for the Trials “a race against time.”

Fast Fact: Once asked how she balanced high-level running with a full-time job, Bersagel replied: “It’s not that different from having kids. That’s like a full-time job, too.”

Kellyn Taylor

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Age: 29 / Resides: Flagstaff, AZ Qualifying Rank: #8, 2:28:40 Career Highlight: 2014 USA 25K Champion Taylor has been hiding in plain sight the past few years as a frequent top-five finisher in national championships, but it was her surprising 2:28:40 at the 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon—the sixth-fastest debut in history by an American woman—that added her to the podium conversation. For emphasis, she slashed 47 seconds off her personal best with a 1:10:59 at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. Whatever unfolds during the race, it’s unlikely to rattle her: see Fast Fact.

Fast Fact: The mother of a 5-year-old daughter, Taylor is studying to be a firefighter.

32 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

A late entrant in the Trials is Misiker “Missie” Demissie, who has lived in the U.S. since 2007 and became a citizen in October 2015. Originally from Ethiopia, Demissie has a personal best of 2:25:45 in finishing second at the 2013 Ottawa Marathon just months before the Trials qualifying window opened. She has twice finished as runner-up in the Los Angeles Marathon (2010, 2012). Demissie recently joined the American Distance Project training group in Colorado Springs.

Fast Fact: Demissie has tended to run her best in low-key races, so the Trials could be a real test.

Becky Wade Age: 27 / Resides: Houston, TX Qualifying Rank: #11, 2:30:41 Career Highlight: 1st, 2013 California International Marathon Two weeks after making the final of the 2012 Olympic Trials steeplechase as a Rice University senior, Wade went abroad on a fellowship to study running cultures around the world, visiting 22 countries in a year. (She has a book deal with HarperCollins to write about the adventure.) Upon returning to the U.S., she put the marathon world on notice by winning Cal International in 2013, earning an “A” qualifying standard for the Trials in her first race longer than 10K. Unfortunately, Wade was able to race only once in 2014 due to a series of injuries, but she appears to have bounced back in 2015. How deep is her reservoir of untapped talent? We’ll find out on race day.

Fast Fact: Wade is the granddaughter of Henry Wade, the Texas prosecutor who tried Jack Ruby for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald and is the Wade in the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade.

Sara Hall Age: 32 / Resides: Redding, CA Qualifying Rank: #12, 2:31:14 Career Highlight: 2011 Pan American Games Gold Medalist, 3000m steeplechase Befitting her versatility, Hall has already competed in the Olympic Trials at three different distances—5000m in 2004; 1500m in 2008; 3000m steeplechase in 2012—and the marathon will be her fourth. So far, her best showing has been eighth, in the steeplechase. Will the marathon bring the magic? Hall’s debut in Los Angeles fell short of expectations, but then she went out and chopped a whopping 16 minutes off her time in Chicago, her second attempt at the distance, only seven months later—just weeks after adopting four Ethiopian sisters, ages 5-15. She’ll need to take another huge bite out of her PB to make the team, but it won’t need to be 16 minutes.

Fast Fact: Hall is married to former Stanford University teammate Ryan Hall, a two-time Olympian who has run the fastest marathon ever (2:04:58) by an American.

You’ll Want to Keep An Eye On …

Kara Goucher

Esther (Erb) Atkins

Age: 37 / Resides: Boulder, CO Qualifying Rank: #42, 2:37:03 Career Highlight: 2007 World Championships bronze medalist, 10,000 meters

Age: 29 / Resides: Blowing Rock, NC Qualifying Rank: #20, 2:33:15 Career Highlight: 2014 USA Marathon Champion

This is the first time since the birth of her son, Colt, in 2010 that Goucher has been healthy and able to train for a long stretch.

With a marathon personal best of 2:24:52 and a pair of good half marathons this fall (1:10:10 and 1:10:13), Goucher’s experience and a knack for performing well on the big stage means she’s a threat to make the team, regardless of her qualifying rank. Remember, few thought she would make the 2012 team, either, but she did, and she went on to finish 11th at the Olympics.

Fast Fact: She and fellow University of Colorado alum (and 2000 Olympian) Adam Goucher will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary this year.

Maegan Krifchin Age: 27 / Resides: Silver Springs, MD Qualifying Rank: #21, 2:33:30 Career Highlight: 1st, 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon If Philadelphia isn’t one of Krifchin’s favorite cities, perhaps it should be. In 2011, the Syracuse University graduate ran her first half marathon there at Rock ‘n’ Roll and surprised even herself by popping a qualifying time to run the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. Leery of jumping up in distance too soon, she decided to wait until 2016. Well, 2016 is here, and Krifchin comes to Los Angeles on the heels of a 1:09:50 win at, yes, the 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon.

It may not be enough to make the team, but it’s enough to make Des Linden cite her as a dark horse on a recent media teleconference.

Fast Fact: “Maegan” comes from her great-grandmother, whose name was Mae.

A gifted singer and musician who began playing the cello at the age of 3, Esther Atkins entered Case Western Reserve as a music major with no plans to run competitively. But a coach lured her off the treadmill and by 2008 she would become the NCAA Division III Champion at 10,000 meters. In 2014 she won her first national title, in the marathon, and made her first national team, finishing 24th in the IAAF World Championships Marathon.

Fast Fact: Atkins sang the National Anthem before the start of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, and went on to finish 27th (2:37:21).

Clara Santucci Age: 28 / Resides: Dilliner, PA Qualifying Rank: 13th, 2:31:39 Career Highlight: 2-time winner, Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Clara (neé Grandt) Santucci climbed onto the national stage when she ran 2:29:54 at the 2011 Boston Marathon, in her debut at the distance. Despite finishing seventh in the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials and following that up by being top American in the 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and twice winning in Pittsburgh, Santucci comes to LA under the radar—probably right where this potentially dangerous athlete likes to be.

Fast Fact: Grew up living in a one-room schoolhouse in West Virginia with her parents and five siblings under humble circumstances that have contributed to her toughness as a runner.

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2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 33

another dynamic dozen

It’s the top contenders to make Team USA who get most of the spotlight, but every one of the qualifiers for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials has a story. Here are 12 of them.

colleen De reuck Boulder, CO At 51, De Reuck is the oldest woman to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials since 54-year-old Sister Marian Irvine did so in 1984. Winner of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and a four-time Olympian (the first three appearances were for her native South Africa), De Reuck has gone on to become a top triathlete. In 2015, she won her 50-54 age group at the Ironman World Championship. She earned a qualifying spot here by winning the 2013 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in 2:39:22. And here’s a Fast Fact for you: Her oldest daughter, Tasmin, just celebrated her 21st birthday.

kevin castille Lafayette, LA A top runner in high school, Castille lost his way in college and began selling crack cocaine to make ends meet. For 10 years in his prime, he didn’t run at all. A three-week stint in jail launched him back onto the right path in 2001; not surprisingly given his earlier success, running played a key role in his new life.

Now the U.S. masters record-holder at 10,000 meters (28:57.88) on the track and the 2012 USA Masters 5K Champion, Castille is the oldest male entrant in the Trials at 43.

hilary dionne Alana hadley

Charlestown, MA

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Charlotte, NC Having just turned 19, Hadley is the youngest qualifier for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, thanks to her 2:38:34 in winning the 2014 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Matter of fact, she’s so young that although she’s eligible to run the Trials, she doesn’t meet the minimum age requirement (20) to compete in the event at the Olympics. But she should take heart from this Fast Fact: She’s the youngest qualifier since Cathy Schiro (later O’Brien) in 1984, who finished ninth in those Trials and then went on to make two Olympic teams. So there’s plenty of time.

34 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

Dionne, 30, was struggling in the last few meters down Boylston Street last spring when she heard the finish-line announcer alert the crowd that Meb Keflezighi was about to finish the Boston Marathon. Little did she know that Meb, also having a rough day, would sneak up from behind to grab her hand and raise it in triumph as they crossed the line together.

Dionne, who finished 15th, later tweeted: “Not my best time, but by far my most memorable finish.”

stephan shay

brett ely

A SoCal beach

Eugene, OR

For the past year, Shay has been living in a vintage 1966 Clark Cortez motor home he calls Lolita. Working two part-time marketing jobs while he trains for the Trials, he has driven Lolita to Flagstaff, AZ, for stints at altitude, but spends most of his time parked near a Southern California beach. “I don’t have anything against people who want a big house,” the 30year-old Shay told Competitor.com. “But … I’m pretty happy that all my stuff fits in an 18-and-a-half-foot bus. For me, life is about trying to find that balance between paying the bills and having that life you want to live.” Shay is the younger brother of Ryan Shay, who collapsed and died while running the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Ely had always qualified to run the Trials (2004, 2008, 2012) on her first try, but not this time. The full-time doctoral student in Human Physiology at the University of Oregon noticed around Mile 20 of the 2013 California International Marathon that her left foot was sore; just before Mile 25, she went to put her foot down and couldn’t run another step, with what turned out to be a fracture that required surgery. “I just stood on the side of the road like a flamingo unsure of what to do,” she says. A family of spectators kindly brought her a chair and a blanket, made her a cup of tea, and loaned her a pair of crutches to get to the finish-line medical tent. She qualified at the same race the next year.

linnabah snyder

Chris lemon

Denver, CO

Springfield, OH

When Snyder saw the clock at the end of the California International Marathon on Dec. 6, it appeared that all was lost: 2:44:59, which left her almost two minutes shy of qualifying to run in these Trials. But four days later, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) lowered the time standards required to compete in the Olympic Marathon, to 2:45; U.S. Track & Field, with bylaws that don’t allow for a Trials standard tougher than that for the Olympics themselves, lowered theirs as well. Snyder was in—barely. “I made a huge scene in my office,” the 35-year-old Snyder, who works in corporate finance in Denver, told the Sacramento Bee. “I’ve learned a lesson—do not give up, ever. Finish the race strong, no matter what.”

Lemon may have taken the notion that running the Trials is a “family affair” to new heights. The busy 26-year-old high school Spanish teacher, coach, and master’s student has been actively aided in his quest by his twin brother, Matt, and Matt’s wife, Maura, who both have an eye on qualifying in 2020—Matt has a personal best of 2:22, while Maura has run 2:46. Lemon’s girlfriend, Lizzie, is out there, too: “She can hold 6:45-7 minutes like no one’s business on easy runs,” he says.

lenore moreno West Covina, CA Moreno, the 2014 NCAA Division III Champion at both 5000 meters indoors and 10,000 meters for the University of La Verne, was diagnosed in 2010 with Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis, which means that she risks going into anaphylactic shock every time she runs. By avoiding certain foods and clothing fabrics, she is still able to compete, but she adds: “I always have my epi-pen handy.” In 2015, Moreno ran 2:41:39 in the Suja San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, not only qualifying for the Trials and winning the women’s division, but also finishing third overall.

tony migliozzi/max king/camille herron North Canton, OH/Bend, OR/Warr Acres, OK For this trio, 26.2 miles (42K) isn’t always long enough: all three are world-champion ultramarathon runners. Migliozzi is the 2015 IAU 50K World Champion; King is the 2014 IAU 100K World Champion, and Herron does them both one better as the reigning World Champion at both 50K and 100K. Then again, don’t forget King’s title as the 2011 World Mountain Running Champion.

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2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 35

Everyone’s a Celebrity in

Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon For 31 years, the Los Angeles Marathon has held a special place in the annals of both the city and the sport. How could it not, given that it was born of Olympic glory?

Inspired by the success and excitement of the 1984 Olympics, the Los Angeles City Council sought proposals to stage a City of Los Angeles Marathon. From the beginning, it was a huge hit: The first edition, on March 9, 1986, drew 10,787 entrants, which at the time made it the largest inaugural marathon ever held in the U.S. “LA Steps Out With a Flourish in its Marathon,” read the next day’s headline in the Los Angeles Times over a story describing USC students cheering the runners from rooftops and dragon dancers performing for them in Chinatown.

Along with the crowds, more than 1.5 million people watched on TV. “At last Los Angeles has a marathon,” said women's winner Nancy Ditz. “It's about time.”

On Sunday, February 14, more than 25,000 runners from all 50 states and 55 countries are expected to toe the line for the 31st edition of the race as it enters a new era.

Last August, LA MARATHON LLC (now Conqur Endurance Group) and Skechers Performance announced a multi-year partnership in which Skechers Performance, based in nearby Manhattan Beach, CA, became the new title sponsor.

In 2015, the race’s 21,924 finishers ranked it as the fourth-largest marathon in the United States, behind only New York City, Chicago, and Boston. When the sun sets on Feb. 14, more than a half million runners will have finished the race in its 31 years.

Leading those half-million runners over the years have been some of the best professional athletes in the world.

Top finishers over the years have included Olympic gold medalists, world-record holders, IAAF World Cross Country Champions, and Boston Marathon champions. Two-time winner Lornah Kiplagat (1997, 1998) remains one of the

38 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon

Artist’s Rendering

most-respected athletes in the sport. In the wheelchair division, such all-time greats as Candace Cable-Brooks, Jean Driscoll, Ernst van Dyk and Kurt Fearnley have set course records.

But perhaps its most-lasting legacy is “Students Run L.A.,” a program that began in 1987 when six at-risk students at Boyle Heights High School in East Los Angeles enrolled in a marathon training program organized by teacher Harry Shabazian after he was inspired by completing the first edition of the race. Since then, more than 57,000 students have been served by the program.

More than 95 percent of the students who start the marathon finish it, and more than 95 percent of high school seniors who run the marathon earn their diplomas.

For the past seven years, those students and the rest of the field have enjoyed the thrill of seeing the heart and soul of Los Angeles, traversing its neighborhoods on a “Stadium to the Sea” course that takes them from Dodgers Stadium to Santa Monica, along Sunset Boulevard, through Chinatown and Hollywood and Beverly Hills, past scenes both familiar from the movies and home to their neighbors.

A few years ago, longtime runner Irma Lopez called it “a spiritual experience.”

It’s a good bet that a half-million runners agree.

2016 SCHEDULE HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO The Health & Fitness Expo annually hosts over 120 exhibitors featuring brand-new designs in running gear and shoes, as well as the latest developments in sports, fitness, and nutrition. In addition, the Expo is the home of Participant Packet Pick-Up for all marathon runners. The two-day Health & Fitness Expo is free and open to the public.

EXPO HOURS Friday, February 12: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Saturday, February 13: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

EXPO LOCATION Los Angeles Convention Center, South Hall 1201 S. Figueroa St Los Angeles

SKECHERS PERFORMANCE LOS ANGELES MARATHON THE START Dodger Stadium 1000 Elysian Park Ave Los Angeles 6:30 am – Wheelchairs 6:32 am – Hand Cycles 6:45 am – Elite Women 6:55 am – Elite Men & Full Field

THE FINISH Intersection of Ocean Ave & California Ave Santa Monica

2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Marathon 39

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