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2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon
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From USA Track & Field
Houston, TX
More than 300 of America’s top distance runners will race in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday, January 14 in Houston, TX. For the first time, the men’s and women’s teams will be selected on the same day and on the same course. NBC will broadcast two hours of same-day coverage from 3-5 p.m. ET.
The top three finishers in each race, subject to the final approval of the U.S Olympic Committee’s board of directors, will represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where the marathon will be run on a similar three-loop course.
Returning to compete in the 2012 Trials are five of the six reigning U.S. Olympians in the marathon: Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Blake Russell. They will be joined by 2004 marathon team members Meb Keflezighi, Colleen De Reuck, and Jen Rhines, and 1996 Olympic marathoner Linda Somers Smith. Keflezighi and Kastor are both 2004 Olympic medalists, with Keflezighi winning silver and Kastor bringing home the bronze.
On the men’s side, Ryan Hall of Flagstaff, AZ leads the field with the fastest qualifying time, 2:04:58 at the 2011 Boston Marathon. The next fastest time, 2:09:13 at the 2011 ING New York City Marathon, was posted by Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, CA; Dathan Ritzenhein of Portland, OR enters with the third fastest time, 2:10:00 at the 2009 Flora London Marathon.
For the women, Desiree Davila of Rochester Hills, MI sets the pace with her 2011 Boston Marathon time of 2:22:38. Second is Kara Goucher of Portland, OR with a qualifying time of 2:24:52 (2011 Boston), followed by Magdalena Lewy Boulet of Oakland, CA with 2:26:22 (2010 Fortis Rotterdam).
A total of 158 men and 223 women achieved qualifying times allowing them to compete in the Trials. The oldest man is Mbarak Hussein of Albuquerque, NM, 46; the oldest woman is Linda Somers Smith of Arroyo Grande, CA. At 50, she has qualified for the Trials a record seven times. The youngest competitors will be Craig Curley of Tucson, AZ, 23, and Amanda Marino of Jackson, NJ, 22.
In addition to a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, athletes will be competing for a prize purse totaling $250,000 in each race, plus bonuses. The men’s and women’s champion will each take home $50,000.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC), a Running USA Founding Member, annually organizes the nation's premier winter marathon, half-marathon, 5K and kids' fun run. In 2010, more than 30,000 runners participated in four race weekend events organized by 7,500 volunteers, creating Houston's largest single-day sporting event. In addition to hosting numerous world-renowned road races, including the USA Men's and Women's Half Marathon Championships since 2005 and 2007 respectively, and the 1992 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, HMC will host the 2012 U.S. Men's and Women's Olympic Team Trials Marathon on Saturday, January 14, 2012. For more information, see www.houstonmarathon.com.
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track & Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. See www.usatf.org.