I hope you all got to see the Trials. Takeaways are that the young athletes in the United States still have a whole lot of work to do. But not all is lost.
Here’s a couple of fun facts. I texted El Jefe before the race that the winning time would be 2:11:15. Drats! Missed it by a whole 4 seconds. What I didn’t predict was that it would be Rupp. Jared Ward nipped one of my favorites (Puskedra) to make the team. That graybeard Meb might be the biggest story of the day. His 2:12:20 the new American Masters Marathon Record.
On the women’s side, Shalane and Amy obviously the class of the day. Training partners that executed their plan to perfection. Add Desi and this is the best American women’s marathon Olympic team of all time in my opinion. And the oldest.
61 men dropped due to the heat. 49 women dropped. Only 3 men and 4 women ran personal bests. Over half the 105 men that finished ran slower than 2:28:00. Over half the 150 women that finished ran slower than 2:51:00.
The crappiest course I’ve ever seen offered by an Olympic Trials. Littered with shattered dreams.
Make no mistake about it, the second most important reason that LA got the Trials was their promise of a national television audience. Huge $$$$ for everyone except the athletes. What did the runners get? A ridiculous 10:00 am start time. The first most important reason LA got the Trials? Insider information here: To bolster their bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.
But first, 2020! Anybody out there?
Closer to home. The 4th annual Two Rivers Valentines Day Runs were a smash. Johnny Rutford now owns the men’s 5K course record 15:15, Colin Morrissey was next in 15:41. For the women Michel Solan Davy set a new mark of 20:39. In the 10K Cory Logsdon put up a new mark for future racers to chase, 33:42, Gina Schmidt posted a 44:01 to put her name in the books as the first course record holder.
The best news of the weekend? The announcement at yesterday’s Valentines Day start line that She Said Yes!
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