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Some great information. It was taken from here if you want to see details and the source: HERE
Olympic Trials Tidbits
Fun Facts About the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon
- Houston is the first city to host both men’s and women’s races at the same Olympic Trials Marathon.
- Houston is the first city to host three U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Houston also hosted the women’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992.
- 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.
- The 1972 U.S. Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon hosted by Eugene, Oregon was the first one to use a qualifying time standard.
- Eugene – Track Town USA – was also the first city to host the Olympic Trials Marathon more than once – 1972 and 1976.
- The 1988 U.S. Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon in Jersey City, NJ was the first time since 1968 that the Trials was also the national marathon championship, and subsequent Olympic Trials races were automatically national championships for both genders.
- At Eugene 1976, Frank Shorter became the first and only repeat Olympic Trials Marathon champion to-date.
- Columbia, South Carolina was the first city to host the U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon more than once – 1996 and 2000. In 2012, Houston will be the second city to host twice (also 1992).
- At the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Columbia (women) and Pittsburgh (men), for the first time, the U.S. qualified only one athlete per gender for the Olympic Marathon because each Trials champion had the Olympic “B” qualifying standard (only one “B” standard qualifier per gender allowed in the Olympics) and the Trials champions were guaranteed spots on Team USA.
- At the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Buffalo, New York, an Olympic Trials record 56 men broke 2:20:00, the most U.S. men sub-2:20 from the same race, and since, only the 1983 Boston Marathon has produced more U.S. men under 2:20 at the same race (76) in the same year.
- Sadly and unfortunately, 1980 was also the first time (and only time to-date) that the U.S. Olympic marathon team did not compete because of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics.
- For the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, the slower “B” qualifying standard (2:22:00 for men and 2:50 for women) was first introduced by USA Track & Field.
- The Houston Marathon, led by race director David Hannah, stepped up to host the 1992 U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon after Long Beach was unable to put on the event.
- At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Birmingham, Alabama, Darrell General, 38, became the first – and only to-date – male qualifier to finish five U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. His best Olympic Trials place and time was 12th in 2:16:30 at 1996 Charlotte.
- The 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team Trials Marathon hosted by Columbus, Ohio was the first Trials in which the three Olympic qualifiers had to also meet an Olympic Marathon time standard (2:14:00 or faster).
- At the 1992 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, with her heartbreaking fourth place finish, Lisa Weidenbach became the only Trials participant to finish in the unlucky fourth position three times; in fact, at three straight Trials – 1984, 1988 and 1992.
- The 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon (November 2007) was hosted by New York City, the first time that the event was hosted by a major city marathon.
Have a great day and.....Keep Running!!!!!
I ran the 1992 Columbus marathon and it was cold as HELL!
ReplyDeleteMy friend Serena Kessler is racing tomorrow at the Trials!!
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