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Lead Stories: Friday, November 21, 2008

Olympic Marathon Trials ‘07:
The Race Has Begun!

Posted November 3rd, 2007 at 7:35 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results

The U.S. Olympic Trials Men’s Marathon has begun! The weather at race time:

46°F
Cloudy
Wind: NE at 12 mph
Humidity: 61%

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U.S. Olympic Trials- Men’s Marathon Preview

Posted October 31st, 2007 at 12:15 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons

It’s almost here. After years of preparation and months of carefully tuned training, America’s finest men’s marathoners will toe the line this Saturday in a showdown that will determine the U.S. team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Let’s step back for a minute and think about how big this race is. In most countries the Olympic marathon team is determined by a committee, freeing the elite athletes from the stress of earning their spot but ruling out the underdogs as well. The U.S. Olympic team, however, is chosen through an open trial race where anyone who meets the qualifying standards may enter. Dreams are realized or dashed, careers are made or broken, and thousands of miles are rewarded or second-guessed based on one race. With so much at stake and with the unpredictable nature of the marathon, the Olympic Marathon Trials are one of the largest spectacles in American sports.
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Field of 134 Set For U.S. Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials

Posted October 25th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons

A field of 134 runners, the largest since 1984, is set for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon, to be contested on Saturday, November 3 in New York City, USA Track and Field, and the New York Road Runners Club announced.

Heading the field is 2004 Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, who’ll be joined by four runners who’ll bring sub-2:09 personal bests to the loop course in New York’s Central Park: U.S. record holder Khalid Khannouchi, Mbarak Hussein, Abdi Abdirahman and Ryan Hall. Hall, 25, whose 2:08:24 performance in London in April came in his debut over the distance, lowered the North American record in the half marathon to 59:43 in January, the first American to dip under one hour over the distance. The field also includes defending trials champion Alan Culpepper. In all, a dozen in the field have bettered the Olympic Games ‘A’ standard of 2:15.
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134 Athletes Entered for November 3rd U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials

Posted October 23rd, 2007 at 7:49 PM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

The largest field since 1984 is set to line up on November 3 for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon in New York City, USA Track & Field (USATF) and the New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced Tuesday. Among the entrants are four previous national marathon champions, the American record holder and an Olympic medalist.

A total of 134 men, out of 179 qualifiers, have officially entered the race that will name the first three members of Team USA’s Track & Field team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

The final entry list includes 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Meb Keflezighi (San Diego, Calif.), 2004 Olympic Trials champion Alan Culpepper (Louisville, Colo.), and American record holder Khalid Khannouchi (Ossining, N.Y.).

Also making a bid for the team will be two-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, Ariz.); Brian Sell (Rochester Hills, Mich.), who made a brave attempt to surprise the field at the 2004 Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon in Birmingham, Ala.; American record holder for the half-marathon Ryan Hall (Big Bear Lake, Calif.); and 2004 Olympic marathoner and 10,000 runner Dan Browne.
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Loaded field set for USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship

Posted October 4th, 2007 at 3:23 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results

Two-time U.S. 10 mile champion Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, Ariz.), will face some of the country’s top athletes in defense of his USA Men’s 10 Mile title this weekend at the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Miler.

Sunday’s race will see more than 30 of the top men in the United States on the line, many of whom are using this year’s championship as the final tune-up before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon next month in New York.

Two former USA Men’s 10 Mile champions, 2003 champion Chris Graff (Crofton, Md.) and 2004 champion Dan Browne (Portland, Ore.) will compete in hopes of regaining the 10 mile title. Browne comes to Minneapolis on a high note, having won the USA 20 km Championship as well as the USA 5 km title in the span of two weeks last month.

Also challenging for the title will be local favorites Andrew Carlson (St. Paul, Minn.), fourth at the 2006 10 Mile championships, and his Team USA Minnesota teammate Jason Lehmkuhle (Minneapolis, Minn.).
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U.S. names marathon team for IAAF World Champs in Osaka

Posted May 16th, 2007 at 7:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

USA Track & Field named their marathon squads for the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka in August (with personal best times):

MEN -
Mbarak Hussein (Albuquerque, N.M.), 2:08:10, Seoul, 2004
Simon Sawe (Albuquerque, N.M.), 2:13:33, Grandma’s, 2005
Fernando Cabada (Bristol, Va.), 2:12:27, Fukuoka, 2006
Mike Morgan (Rochester Hills, Mich.), 2:15:11, Chicago, 2006
Kyle O’Brien (Rochester Hills, Mich.), 2:15:13, Chicago, 2006

WOMEN -
Mary Akor (Gardena, Calif.), 2:33:50, Twin Cities, 2006
Zoila Gomez (Alamosa, Colo.), 2:35:26, Twin Cities, 2006
Ann Alyanak (Bellbrook, Ohio), 2:38:55, Boston, 2007
Kristin Price (Raleigh, N.C.), 2:38:57, Boston, 2007
Samia Akbar (Hendon, Va.), 2:34:14, New York City, 2006
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Hussein, Runyan Win USA Marathon Championship at Twin Cities Marathon

Posted October 2nd, 2006 at 4:12 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Last year’s men’s champion, Mbarak Hussein, and two-time Olympian, Marla Runyan won, won the men’s and women’s field, respectively, this past weekend at the The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twin cities marathon was also the host of this year’s USA Marathon Championships, the sixth time that it has done so.

Hussein, with a time of 2:13:52, successful defended his overall and master’s titles. On the women’s side, Marla Runya won in a time of 2:32.15 - almost two minutes faster than the next best finisher. Both winners were awarded $39,000 in prize money.

Believe it or not, Runyan gave birth to a baby girl just 13 months ago! Read the rest of this entry »

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