Photo above: The lead pack shortly after the start. Photo by Brightroom.

Photo Captions

1. The day before the big race, the athletes who had run the course last year at the U.S. Men's Marathon championship race met the press at the expo.


2. Chris Banks (middle) of Alexandria, VA responds to questions regarding his training.


3. Michael Wardian (left) of Arlington, VA discusses his hopes and aspirations for the race.


4. Keith Dowling of Reston, VA had the fastest qualifying time of all DC-area runners. Here he responds to a question from MC Keith Brantley while Rod DeHaven, who represented the U.S. in the last Olympics, looks on.

Photos Below

1. Brian Sell of the Hanson's-Brooks training team and Michigan led for most of the race. Here he completes the 9-mile run into Birmingham from the suburbs and begins the criterium-style course. The trailing pack can be seen in the upper right.


2. Eventual winners Alan Culpepper (left, black hat) and Meb Keflezighi (right, red singlet) make the turn off the long straightaway.


3. Most of the other competitors ran in packs to help block the wind. Chris Banks (orange singlet & hat) looks to his right at the turn onto the criterium course through the downtown.

Photos Below

1. The lead pack, still trailing Brian Sell, on the course. Alan Culpepper can be seen on the left (white singlet, black hat), Keith Dowling is in the middle of the photo in white singlet and black hat, and Meb Keflezighi is on the right in red singlet (with black sleeves).


2. Michael Wardian braved the fierce winds and ran most of the race at his own pace.


3. Edmund Burke of Burtonsville, MD (black singlet & shorts) running with a small pack about midway through the course.

Photos Below

1. Alan Culpepper (left) and Meb Keflezighi broke away from the pack and caught and passed Brian Sell.


2. The finish line, where supportive crowds await.


3. As they approach the finish, Alan Culpepper (Lafayette, CO) has a 5-second lead over Meb Keflezighi (San Diego, CA), winning in 2:11:42.

Photos Below

1. Daniel Browne of Beaverton, OR finished third in 2:12:02.


2. Alexandria's Chris Banks finished in 20th place.


3. After the race, Dan Browne, Alan Culpepper and Meb Keflezighi wrapped themselves in the flag and posed for the press.

Photos Below

1. Later in the afternoon, the top 15 finishers received their medals and prize money in a ceremony at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.


2. Darrell General of Hyattsville, MD (left) completed his 5th Olympic Marathon Trials race (67th, 2:33:20) and collected Dan Browne's autograph at the awards ceremony.


3. Some of the top 15 finishers posed in front of a giant banner of the Olympic rings.


4. The Running Network sponsored the awards ceremony and reception that followed.

See our race day report by Chris Saunders.