April 12, 2011 - Issue 3
In This Issue
Paving the Road to London
Athlete Spotlight: Boston Bound
Trials Flashback
Fun Facts
Top 12 Men's and Women's Qualifying Times
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COUNTDOWN
2012 U.S. Olympic
Trials Marathon
January 14, 2012
276 Days
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2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifiers
109 Men
143 Women
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In the News
Down the Backstretch
Chris Erichsen talks about his Olympic Trials qualifier
SeacoastOnline.com
Gibson, Hocking win titles at Great Bay Half Marathon
Knoxville News Sentinel
Challenges continue for marathon contenders
College Roundup
Ex-Johnnie Erichsen qualifies for Olympic marathon trials
Spring Valley Tribune
Kingsland grad set to prepare for Olympic trials in marathon
Spiked Up Psyched Up
Amy Hastings runs 2:27:03 in marathon debut
Click here to read more 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon news.
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Quick Links
TeamUSA.org
Houston2012.com
USATF.org
2012 Trials Qualifier List
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Hello from Houston!
Paving the Road to London
The Houston Marathon Committee and USA Track & Field are making improvements to the proposed course for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon.
"We received feedback and comments from numerous athletes who competed in the recent USA Half Marathon Championships and we have modified the route to minimize the out-and-backs," said Brant Kotch, president and race director of the Houston Marathon Committee. "The improved route is as runner- and spectator-friendly as possible, and we believe the Olympic Trials participants will be very happy with it."
The pending route should be even faster than the USA Championships route, which actually produced finishing times faster than predicted by statisticians. And what's more, the three-loop course will offer cheering spectators multiple opportunities to see the top U.S. distance runners as they compete for a coveted spot on Team USA.
With final revisions underway, we can't wait to share with you the new and improved U.S. Olympic Trials marathon course in our next newsletter!
Athlete Spotlight:
Boston Bound
Top qualifiers for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon are Boston bound as a talented U.S. contingent is expected at the 115th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18. The U.S. field is led by 2008 U.S. Olympians Ryan Hall (marathon), Kara Goucher (5000m/10,000m) and Blake Russell (marathon) and rising star Desiree Davila who has the top women's 2012 OMT qualifying time (2:26:20, Chicago 2010).
Hall, Goucher and Davila have Boston Marathon experience, while Russell qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team on a multi-loop course in downtown Boston.
In addition, Goucher, 32, who is 7 months removed from the birth of her son Colton, and Hall, 28, who last year ran 2:08:41 to set the U.S. course record, have recent third place finishes at Boston, in 2009 and 2010 respectively, and both have expressed a keen desire to win the storied event.
No American has won the Boston Marathon since 1985 when Lisa Weidenbach won the women's race in 2:34:06. Greg Meyer was the last U.S. man to win in 1983 running a 2:09:00. This year at Boston we could see history made with another U.S. champion.
Good luck to the U.S. runners!
For more race information, go to: BostonMarathon.org.
Trials Flashback
Pfitzinger Picture Perfect
1984 Buffalo, NY
Pete Pfitzinger, 26, a relative unknown and underdog, broke away from the deep Olympic Trials field just past the halfway point and built a 150 meter lead. In the last mile, John Tuttle passed Pfitzinger and then race favorite Alberto Salazar passed both of them.
In the final 400 meters, however, Pfitzinger, a Cornell grad, incredibly found another gear and overtook Tuttle and overcame Salazar in the last meters for the dramatic win. It was the first time Salazar lost to an American over 26.2 miles.
At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the U.S. Olympic Trials champion was also the top American, 11th in 2:13:53.
Fun Facts
Kyle Heffner and Francie Larrieu Smith are the only Texas residents to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon team via the Olympic Trials format; both finished third in 1980 and 1992, respectively. At Houston in 1992, Larrieu Smith made her fifth U.S. Olympic team.
At the Honda LA Marathon on March 20, Amy Hastings, 27, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. became an instant contender for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon team with her impressive debut of 2:27:03. Her runner-up finish produced the third-fastest U.S. women's marathon debut and she is now the 8th-fastest U.S. woman all-time for 26.2 miles.
Top 12 Men's and Women's Qualifying Times*
*As of April 12, 2011
MEN
No. Time Name Event
1 2:08:41 Ryan Hall (CA) 2010 Boston Marathon
2 2:09:15 Meb Keflezighi (CA) 2009 New York City Marathon
3 2:10:00 Dathan Ritzenhein (OR) 2009 London Marathon
4 2:10:36 Brett Gotcher (AZ) 2010 Houston Marathon
5 2:11:06 Jason Hartmann (OR) 2010 Chicago Marathon
6 2:11:30 Nick Arciniaga (AZ) 2011 Houston Marathon
7 2:12:34 Jason Lehmkuhle (MN) 2010 Boston Marathon
8 2:13:00 Jorge Torres (CO) 2009 New York City Marathon
9 2:13:47 Antonio Vega (MN) 2010 Boston Marathon
10 2:13:51 Josh Cox (CA) 2009 California International Marathon
11 2:14:00 Abdi Abdirahman (AZ) 2009 New York City Marathon
12 2:14:02 Sergio Reyes (CA) 2010 Twin Cities Marathon
WOMEN
No. Time Name Event
1 2:26:20 Desiree Davila (MI) 2010 Chicago Marathon
2 2:26:22 Magdalena Lewy Boulet (CA) 2010 Fortis Marathon Rotterdam
3 2:27:03
Amy Hastings (CA) 2011 LA Marathon
4 2:28:40
Shalane Flanagan (OR) 2010 New York Marathon
5 2:28:44
Magdalena Lewy Boulet (CA) - 2
2010 Chicago Marathon
6 2:29:35
Stephanie Rothstein (AZ) 2011 Houston Marathon
7 2:30:51 Colleen De Reuck (CO) 2010 Copenhagen Marathon
8 2:30:53
Tera Moody (CO) 2010 Chicago Marathon
9 2:31:01 Katie McGregor (MN) 2010 New York Marathon
10 2:31:49
Ilsa Paulson (NY) 2009 Twin Cities Marathon
11 2:32:51
Zoila Gomez (CO) 2010 Chicago Marathon
12 2:33:22
Paige Higgins (AZ) 2010 Houston Marathon
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