Distance: 42.195 km, certified course; one 2.2 mile loop plus three 8 mile loops
Finishers: Men, 85 (158 qualified, 113 declared, 111 starters); Women, 152 (225 qualifiers, 188 declared, 183 starters)
Format: Separate men's and women's race; men's start 8:00 a.m.; women's start 8:15 a.m.
Prize Money: See complete details below; the top-3 male and female finishers also receive an Olympic Games participation bonus of $20,000 each if they start the Olympic Marathon.
Trials Records: Men, 2:09:02, Ryan Hall, New York City, 03-Nov-2007; Women, new (see below)
Weather: Clear and comfortably cold (40°F at start/57°F at finish); windy in some spots
NOTE: Meb Keflezighi became the oldest-ever Olympic Trials winner at 36, breaking away from Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman in the 25th mile to get a personal best. Hall held on for second, and Abdirahman made his fourth Olympic team in third. Coming off of a year of medical problems, Dathan Ritzenhein ran bravely to finish fourth and also set a personal best (he was the fastest-ever Trials finisher not to make a team). In the men's race, Shalane Flanagan broke away from Desi Davila near 40-K to get the win in a new Trials and USA Championships record, making her third Olympic Team. Davila made her first team in second, and Kara Goucher --who admitted that she was undertrained-- held on for third place, making her second Olympic Team. Fourth place Amy Hastings, like Ritzenhein, became the fastest-ever Trials finisher who did not make the team.
NOTE II: In statistical terms, these Trials were amongst the best-ever marathons for USA athletes. For instance, this was the first-ever marathon where four USA men broke 2:10 in the same race, Marty Post noted. Post also pointed out that no previous marathon saw five USA women sub-2:30 in the same race. We recorded 23 personal bests on the men's side (plus at least 11 debuts), and 31 PB's on the women's side (plus at least 5 debuts). The women's race, like the 2008 Trials, demonstrated once again that women don't need to run with men to run fast and set PB's, as long as the field is large enough.
NOTE III: The fact that the women's race was nearly twice as large as the men's needs to be examined by USATF officials prior to setting the qualifying standards for the 2016 Trials. Was the men's race too small, or the women's race too large?
NOTE IV: Linda Somers Smith, 50, who had qualifed for her seventh Olympic Trials here, clocked a sparkling 2:37:36 here, a new USA 50-54 record and good for 28th place overall. Will she make a record 8th Trials in 2016?
MEN - 1. Meb Keflezighi, 36, Mammoth Lakes, CA, NYAC/Skechers 2:09:08 PB $54,000^ 2. Ryan Hall, 29, Mammoth Lakes, CA, Asics 2:09:30 43,000^ 3. Abdi Abdirahman, 33, Tucson, AZ, Nike 2:09:47 32,000^ 4. Dathan Ritzenhein, 29, Beaverton, OR, Nike 2:09:55 PB 21,000^ 5. Brett Gotcher, 27, Flagstaff, AZ, McMillan Elite/adidas 2:11:06 15,500^ 6. Andrew Carlson, 29, Chaska, MN, Team USA Minn/Brooks 2:11:24 DB 10,000 7. Fernando Cabada, 29, Boulder, CO 2:11:53 PB 8,000 8. Nick Arciniaga, 28, Flagstaff, AZ, McMillan Elite/adidas 2:11:56 7,000 9. James Carney, 33, Boulder, CO, New Balance 2:12:23 PB 6,000 10. Jimmy Grabow, 27, Running Springs, CA, adidas Legacy RR 2:12:29 DB 4,000 11. Ryan Vail, 25, Portland, OR, Brooks 2:12:43 DB 12. Ricky Flynn, 24, Lynchburg, VA, 2:13:41 DB 13. Pat Rizzo, 28, Boulder, CO, Mizuno 2:13:42 PB 14. Josh Cox, 36, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 2:13:50 PB 15. Ian Burrell, 25, Tucson, AZ, Boulder Running Co/adidas 2:14:04 DB 16. Sean Quigley, 26, Braintree, MA, Puma 2:14:12 DB 17. Mike Morgan, 31, Rochester Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:14:22 PB 18. Jason Lehmkuhle, 34, Msp, MN, Team USA Minn/Saucony 2:14:35 19. Max King, 31, Bend, OR, Central Oregon Running Klub 2:14:36 PB 20. Michael Reneau, 33, Saint Paul, MN, Twin Cities TC 2:14:37 PB 21. Drew Polley, 26, Rochester Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:14:58 PB 22. Patrick Smyth, 25, Mammoth Lakes, CA, Nike 2:15:00 PB 23. Ryan Bak, 30, Bend, OR, Central Oregon Running Klub 2:15:12 24. Daniel Tapia, 25, Castroville, CA, TRANSPORTS adidas RT 2:15:28 PB 25. Sergio Reyes, 30, Los Osos, CA, Asics Aggie Running Club 2:15:41 26. Craig Leon, 27, Eugene, OR, Team Run Eugene 2:15:42 PB 27. Keith Bechtol, 26, Palo Alto, CA, 2:16:02 PB 28. Michael Chavez, 26, Fort Collins, CO, Boulder RC/adidas 2:16:13 DB 29. Jesse Cherry, 25, Blowing Rock, NC, ZAP Fitness Reebok 2:16:31 DB 30. Mike Sayenko, 27, Bellevue, WA, Club Northwest 2:16:40 31. Zach Hine, 24, South Hadley, MA, Mizuno 2:16:40 PB 32. Jason Hartmann, 30, Boulder, CO, Boulder Track Club 2:16:44 33. Paul Hefferon, 25, Roch. Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:16:46 DB 34. Stephan Shay, 25, Huntington Beach, CA, Saucony 2:16:48 PB 35. Drew Shackleton, 25, San Francisco, CA, 2:17:14 36. Allen Wagner, 31, Albuquerque, NM, Brooks 2:17:16 PB 37. Adam MacDowell, 32, Webster Groves, MO, Big River RC 2:17:27 PB 38. Donovan Fellows, 32, Woodbury, MN 2:17:30 PB 39. Brian Ball, 27, Fillmore, CA, 2:17:38 DB 40. Chris Erichsen, 26, Minneapolis, MN, Collegeville 2:17:52 PB 41. Jeff Jonaitis, 30, Tinley Park, IL, 2:17:56 PB 42. Robert Scribner, 26, Roch. Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:18:18 PB 43. Sage Canaday, 26, Roch. Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:18:24 44. Josh Eberly, 31, Gunnison, CO, Brooks 2:18:35 PB 45. Leo Kormanik, 29, Fairlawn, OH, 2:18:51 46. Tyler Sigl, 25, Green Bay, WI, Wisconsin Runner RT 2:19:17 47. Josh Ordway, 31, Bellbrook, OH, Columbus Running Co 2:19:22 48. Matthew Forys, 26, New York, NY, NYAC 2:19:24 DB 49. Charlie Serrano, 27, Simi Valley, CA, adidas Legacy 2:19:48 50. Tyler McCandless, 25, Boulder, CO, Mizuno 2:19:56 51. Malcolm Richards, 29, San Francisco, CA, West Valley TC 2:20:15 52. Alex Crabill, 23, Boston, MA, 2:20:17 53. Chris Chavez, 25, Menlo Park, CA, TRANSPORTS adidas RT 2:20:18 54. Lucas Meyer, 28, Ridgefield, CT, Boston Athletic Assn 2:20:21 55. Paul Petersen, 32, Smithfield, UT, St. George RC 2:20:31 56. Joe Moore, 28, Minneapolis, MN, 2:20:31 57. Michael Eaton, 24, Bowling Green, KY, 2:20:52 58. Juan Carlos Trujillo, 26, Middleton, ID, adidas 2:20:56 59. Jeremy Criscione, 24, Bartow, FL, 2:20:57 60. Jason Ordway, 24, Bellbrook, OH, Columbus Running Co 2:21:02 61. Jed Christiansen, 24, Greenville, PA, Playmakers Racing 2:21:09 62. Michael Wardian, 37, Arlington, VA, 2:21:50 63. Jason Flogel, 28, West Des Moines, IA, Runablaze Iowa 2:21:53 64. Jordan Horn, 27, Flagstaff, AZ, McMillan Elite 2:21:56 65. Luke Watson, 31, State College, PA, Mizuno 2:21:58 66. Chris Lundstrom, 35, Minneapolis, MN, TC Running Co 2:22:03 67. Clint Verran, 36, Lake Orion, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:22:03 68. Jesse Davis, 30, Indianapolis, IN, 2:22:24 69. Jesse Armijo, 29, Albuquerque, NM, Dukes Track Club 2:22:25 70. Crosby Freeman, 27, San Francisco, CA, Asics Aggie RC 2:22:28 71. Gian-Paul Caccia, 25, New York, NY, NYAC 2:22:30 72. Kenyon Neuman, 25, Boulder, CO, 2:22:33 73. Matt Levassiur, 30, Alamosa, CO, Boulder Run Co/adidas 2:23:58 74. Justin Grunewald, 26, Merrifield, MN, Run N Fun 2:24:16 75. C Fred Joslyn, 27, East Syracuse, NY 2:24:29 76. Matthew Fecht, 28, Warren, MI, 2:24:32 77. Eric Loeffler, 35, Fargo, ND, Run N Fun 2:25:05 78. Ryan Sheehan, 28, Louisville, KY, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:25:37 79. Tim Tollefson, 26, Roseville, CA, Chico Track Club 2:27:00 80. Scott MacPherson, 24, Austin, TX, Adidas/TeamRogue Elite 2:27:15 81. Jeff Weiss, 25, Avella, PA, 2:29:03 82. Christopher Clark, 26, Blowing Rock, NC, ZAP Fitness RBK 2:30:10 83. Chad Johnson, 35, Lake Orion, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:36:48 84. Craig Curley, 23, Tucson, AZ, 2:39:53 85. Dan Browne, 36, Chula Vista, CA, U.S. Army 2:42:21
DNF: Nick Stanko, Giliat Ghebray, Joseph Chirlee, David Jankowski, Sean Houseworth, Brent Vaughan, Ryan Kienzle, Matt Gabrielson, Trent Briney, Stephan Hallinan, Mo Trafeh (second consecutive marathon DNF), Brian Olinger (was making debut), Josh Moen, Mbarak Hussein, (1:06:21 at half), Oscar Ogwaro, Chris Siemers, Neil McDonagh, Kyle Shackleton, Michael Cassidy, Luke Humphrey, Tim Young, Miguel Nuci, Brian Medigovich, Tommy Neal, John Lucas, Daniel Mercado.
^Prize money included USATF national championships prize money
HOUSTON (14 Jan)-- Today's victory at the 2012 USA Olympic Marathon Trials here for Meb Keflezighi capped an impressive four-year comeback for the 36 year-old Olympic silver medalist.
"It's not about being first, second or third," Keflezighi told reporters after running a personal best 2:09:08. "It's all about being on the team."
Keflezighi, from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., finished a disappointing eighth at the 2008 Trials held in New York City. During that race --which was actually held during November, 2007-- his performance was hampered by a stress reaation in his pelvis which put the 20-time USA champion in incredible pain. The injury was so bad, he said back in 2009 that he had to see 25 doctors before getting the right diagnosis and treatment. He also had to overcome the emotional anguish of learing right after he finished that his friend and training partner Ryan Shay had died during the race of heart failure.
Things improved dramatically for Keflezighi in 2009 with his ING New York City Marathon victory, the first by an American since Alberto Salazar in 1982. But Keflezighi would continue to wrestle with injuries for the next two seasons to his knee and hamstring. Nonetheless, he managed fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively, at the Boston and New York City Marathons in 2010, and finished sixth again in New York last November.
But again, another physical problem threatened to derail his chances in today's race. He forget that his Breathe Right nose strip was in his racing shoe at New York --where he stored it for safekeeping-- and the strip rubbed the bottom of his foot so much during the race it later caused an infection. That caused him to lose precious training time because today's Trials were only 68 days from his race at New York. Today, he reflected on that experience.
"Like any athlete, you're always under pressure to take everything off and go," Keflezighi explained of marathon starting line procedures. "It's not like you wore the same shoes, the same sox you went out with. Unfortunately, I made that mistake in New York. It cost me a big PR (personal record) or a higher place. But, I believe through this that anything is possible, and I had it on, and it helped me breathe better."
Amongst Keflezighi's strengths as an athlete is his keen competitive sense. By the 15th mile (25-K) when the men's lead pack had dwindled to four --Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Abdi Abdirahman-- Keflezighi spent most of the time in the back assessing the situation. He cautiously followed Hall's surge in the 23rd mile, and waited for the 25th mile to make his final move for victory. Keflezighi credited his long time coach, Bob Larsen, for helping him be ready for today.
"Coach Larsen, who's been coaching me for 18 years now, believing in me through ups and downs," Keflezighi said. "It's a fine line: you don't want to over train, you don't want to under train. It's all about doing the work consistently."
WOMEN - 1. Shalane Flanagan, 30, Portland, OR, Nike Oregon TC Elite 2:25:38 PB/CR* $54,000^ 2. Desiree Davila, 28, Roch. Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:25:55 43,000^ 3. Kara Goucher, 33, Portland, OR, Nike Oregon TC Elite 2:26:06 32,000^ 4. Amy Hastings, 27, Mammoth Lakes, CA, Brooks 2:27:17 21,000^ 5. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, 33, Rome, GA, ATC/MarathonGuide 2:29:45 PB 15,500^ 6. Deena Kastor, 38, Mammoth Lakes, CA, Asics 2:30:40 10,000 7. Clara Grandt, 24, Morgantown, WV, RIADHA/Mizuno 2:30:46 8,000 8. Alissa McKaig, 25, Blowing Rock, NC, ZAP Fitness Reebok 2:31:56 PB 7,000 9. Dot McMahan, 35, Rochester Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:32:16 6,000 10. Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 38, Oakland, CA, Saucony 2:33:42 4,000 11. Katie McGregor, 34, Savage, MN, Team USA Minn/adidas 2:34:01 12. Wendy Thomas, 32, Windsor, CO, Boulder Running Co/adidas 2:34:25 DB 13. Melissa White, 30, Lake Orion, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:34:33 14. Alisha Williams, 29, Colorado Sps, CO, Boulder RC/adidas 2:35:09 DB 15. Heidi Westover, 30, Walpole, NH, Mizuno 2:35:45 16. Clara Peterson, 27, San Anselmo, CA, 2:35:50 DB 17. Rebecca Donaghue, 35, State College, PA, New Bal Boston 2:35:57 DB 18. Kathy Newberry, 33, Ann Arbor, MI, NYAC 2:36:21 19. Brooke Wells, 26, San Francisco, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:36:24 PB 20. Loretta Kilmer, 28, New York, NY, RIADHA 2:36:41 PB 21. Jeannette Faber, 29, Portland, OR, Boston Athletic Assn 2:36:50 PB 22. Michelle Frey, 29, Minneapolis, MN, Saucony 2:37:03 PB 23. Erin Nehus, 30, Indianapolis, IN, 2:37:06 PB 24. Sheri Piers, 40, Falmouth, ME, Dirigo R.C. 2:37:09 25. Kelly Calway, 27, Manitou Springs, CO, U.S. Army 2:37:10 PB 26. Camille Herron, 30, Warr Acres, OK, MarathonGuide.com 2:37:14 PB 27. Esther Erb, 25, Blowing Rock, NC, ZAP Fitness Reebok 2:37:21 PB 28. Linda Somers Smith, 50, Arroyo Grande, CA, Asics Aggies 2:37:36 AR W5054 29. Ariana Hilborn, 31, Scottsdale, AZ, Brooks 2:37:37 30. Emily Harrison, 25, Flagstaff, AZ, McMillan Elite/adidas 2:37:45 31. Rachel Booth, 31, Mandeville, LA, New Bal Silicon Valley 2:37:59 PB 32. Caroline LeFrak, 28, New York, NY, NYAC 2:38:14 PB 33. Zoila Gomez, 32, Alamosa, CO, 2:38:37 34. Caroline White, 26, Colorado Springs, CO, U.S. Air Force 2:38:43 35. Colleen De Reuck, 47, Boulder, CO, 2:38:52 36. Devon Crosby-Helms, 29, San Francisco, CA, 2:38:55 PB 37. Nicole Camp, 26, Willowick, OH, Second Sole 2:39:10 PB 38. Kathleen Castles, 40, New Providence, NJ, 2:39:19 PB 39. Lauren Philbrook, 24, State College, PA, 2:39:47 PB 40. Emily Potter, 32, Southern Pines, NC, U.S. Army 2:39:55 PB 41. Kara Storage, 30, Beavercreek, OH, RUNOHIO Racing Team 2:39:59 PB 42. Tara Storage, 30, Beavercreek, OH, RUNOHIO Racing Team 2:40:00 PB 43. Michele Suszek, 29, Longmont, CO, 2:40:33 44. Alexandra Blake, 28, Tucson, AZ, 2:40:36 PB 45. Allison Macsas, 27, Austin, TX, Adidas/TeamRogue Elite 2:40:47 PB 46. Laurie Knowles, 34, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Track Club 2:40:49 47. Jennifer Houck, 27, Bloomington, MN, Mizuno 2:40:51 48. Laura Farley, 27, Bloomington, IN, Brooks 2:41:05 PB 49. Meagan Nedlo, 29, Marblehead, MA, 2:41:06 PB 50. Amanda Rice, 27, Portland, OR, U.S. Navy 2:41:06 51. Amanda Marino, 22, Jackson, NJ, 2:41:22 DB 52. Sopagna Eap, 30, San Diego, CA, Brooks 2:41:24 53. Kasie Enman, 32, Huntington, VT, Boston Athletic Assn 2:41:25 54. Heather Cappello, 31, Arlington, MA, Bos Athletic Assn 2:42:07 55. Leah Thorvilson, 33, Little Rock, AR, 2:42:09 56. Alvina Begay, 31, Flagstaff, AZ, Nike 2:42:20 57. Jodie Robertson, 27, Voorheesville, NY, ARE Racing Team 2:42:31 PB 58. Nicole Cueno, 32, Minneapolis, MN, Foley & Mansfield RT 2:42:33 59. Megan Skeels, 37, Fort Worth, TX, 2:42:40 PB 60. Natasha LaBeaud, 24, San Diego, CA, 2:42:55 61. Brianne Nelson, 31, Fort Collins, CO, 2:42:58 62. Catha Mullen, 26, Stanford, CA, New Balance Silicon Val 2:43:02 63. Jenna Boren, 34, Minneapolis, MN, TC Running Company 2:43:04 64. Jen Rhines, 37, Mammoth Lakes, CA, adidas 2:43:35 65. Tyler Stewart, 33, Novato, CA, 2:44:04 PB 66. Caitlin Chrisman, 26, Charlotte, NC, Charlotte RC 2:44:04 67. Adrian Chouinard, 28, Man. Spgs, CO, Boulder RC/adidas 2:44:06 68. Julia Mallon, 33, Santa Rosa, CA, 2:44:07 PB 69. Nichole Porath, 28, Northfield, MN, Run N Fun 2:44:12 PB 70. Jackie Pirtle-Hall, 29, Saint Charles, MO, 2:44:22 PB 71. Deanna Ardrey, 29, Boulder, CO, 2:44:27 72. Ashley Carroll, 28, Menlo Park, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:44:29 73. Christa Iammarino, 37, Wilmington, NC, 2:44:35 74. Jackie Rzepecki, 33, Rochester, MI, 2:44:36 PB 75. Megan Lund-Lizotte, 28, Basalt, CO, 2:44:45 76. Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz, 31, Broomfield, CO, Mizuno 2:44:49 77. Erin Richard, 26, Rochester Hills, MI, Hansons-Brooks DP 2:44:53 78. Claudia Becque, 35, Emerald Hills, CA, New Balance SV 2:45:00 79. Madeline Kramer, 24, Berkeley, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:45:11 80. Katherine Koski, 38, Duluth, MN, Northwoods Minn-Wisc 2:45:27 81. Shannon McHale, 40, West Simsbury, CT, Pequot/Hitek RT 2:45:36 82. Danna Kelly, 25, West Des Moines, IA, Runablaze Iowa 2:45:42 83. Kristin Barry, 38, Scarborough, ME, Dirigo R.C. 2:45:43 84. Michelle Meyer, 24, San Francisco, CA, Impala RT 2:45:52 85. Ann Marie Chappell, 33, Country Club, MO, 2:46:05 86. Cheryl Smith, 31, Laguna Beach, CA, Nike Team Run LA 2:46:07 87. Sara Petrick, 25, Apollo Beach, FL, The Running Ctr RC 2:46:10 88. Erica Jesseman, 22, Scarborough, ME, 2:46:11 89. Jennifer Santa Maria, 33, San Diego, CA, adidas/Movin Sh 2:46:14 90. Mary Coordt, 42, Elk Grove, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:46:18 91. Lisbet Sunshine, 47, Larkspur, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:46:20 92. Heather McNiff, 25, Los Alamos, NM, 2:46:23 93. Victoria Russell, 39, Spokane, WA, 2:46:28 94. Lisa Thomas, 36, Alexandria, VA, Pacers/New Balance 2:46:42 95. Laura Portis, 24, Nashville, TN, 2:46:47 96. Lavenna Mullenbach, 24, Lake Orion, MI, Hansons-Brooks D 2:46:49 97. Rebecca Angeles, 34, Murphy, TX, 2:47:03 98. Katie Blackett, 34, Boulder, CO, Saucony 2:47:09 99. Midori Sperandeo, 45, Folsom, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:47:14 100. Danielle Quatrochi, 35, Boulder, CO, 2:47:21 101. Anna Beck, 27, Washington, PA, 2:47:26 102. Megan Grindall, 31, Moorhead, MN, 2:47:37 103. Serena Kessler, 39, Ann Arbor, MI, 2:47:44 104. Jodie Conway, 35, Framingham, MA, 2:48:02 105. Kaci Lickteig, 25, Omaha, NE, 2:48:05 106. Rachel Niehuus, 26, Berkeley, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:48:13 107. Sharon Thompson, 32, Franklin, TN, 2:48:15 108. Christina Overbeck, 25, Portland, OR, Run Portland 2:48:25 109. Jackie Dikos, 32, Indianapolis, IN, 2:48:29 110. Lucinda Smith, 30, Kensington, MD, adidas Raleigh TC 2:48:39 111. Jennifer Modliszewski, 31, Durham, NC, 2:48:51 112. Kristen Carter, 24, Bellingham, WA, 2:48:53 113. Carol Jefferson, 26, Schwenksville, PA, 2:48:59 114. Louise Knudson, 26, Charlottesville, VA, Ragged Mountain 2:49:00 115. Jeanne Cooper, 34, Eagle, CO, 2:49:16 116. Tamara Karrh, 42, Marietta, GA, 2:49:18 117. Emily Shertzer, 32, Jonestown, PA, U.S. Air Force 2:49:24 118. Jill Horst, 33, Rome, GA, Atlanta Track Club 2:49:33 119. Samantha Howard, 25, Lancaster, PA, Downingtown RC 2:49:38 120. Melissa Rittenhouse, 35, Harrisonburg, VA, Saucony 2:49:40 121. Rebecca Michael, 28, Akron, OH, 2:50:10 122. Sarah Graves, 34, Ballantine, MT, 2:50:16 123. Mattie Suver, 24, Lake Tapps, WA, 2:50:23 124. Kim Pawelek, 37, Jacksonville, FL, 2:50:39 125. Raquel Stucky, 36, Pretty Prairie, KS, 2:51:08 126. Wendy Terris, 42, Milwaukie, OR, Team Red Lizard 2:51:56 127. Megan Daly, 33, Sacramento, CA, Impala Racing Team 2:52:09 128. Amanda Scott, 24, Boulder, CO, 2:52:17 129. Bridget Easley, 31, Lincoln, NE, Team Nebraska Brooks 2:52:28 130. Lindsay Nelson, 26, Roseville, CA, Asics Aggie RC 2:52:55 131. Hallie Janssen, 36, Portland, OR, Run Portland 2:53:10 132. Erin O'Mara, 27, Ypsilanti, MI, 2:53:16 133. Sarah Bashinski-Flament, 36, Poland, OH, RUNOHIO RT 2:53:26 134. Kate DeProsperis, 32, Downers Grove, IL, Jenny Spangler 2:53:29 135. Kelly Brinkman, 30, Bloomington, MN, 2:53:46 136. Rachel Jaten, 36, Spokane, WA, Spokane Swifts 2:53:46 137. Robyn Friedman, 38, Newton, IA, Runablaze Iowa 2:54:54 138. Lisa Baumert, 24, Princeton, NJ, 2:55:00 139. Gina Slaby, 30, Tucson, AZ, U.S. Navy 2:55:34 S. Glens Falls, NY 140. Kim Dobson, 27, Denver, CO, 2:56:37 141. Donna Palisca, 34, Bryn Mawr, PA, Greater Philly TC 2:56:48 142. Amy Hauswirth, 42, Hancock, MI, 2:58:26 143. Meghan Arbogast, 50, Corvallis, OR, Corvallis Running Pr 2:58:53 144. Shannon Cody, 42, Redwood City, CA, West Valley TC 2:58:54 145. Nicole Hagobian, 36, San Luis Obispo, CA, Asics Aggie RC 2:59:17 146. Sarah Lee, 30, San Francisco, CA, Impala Racing Team 3:00:08 147. Liana Bernard, 30, Medford, OR, 3:01:05 148. Jessica Minty, 27, Arlington, MA, New Balance Boston 3:02:14 149. Mandy Yates, 33, Saint Johns, FL, 3:04:45 150. Susan Loken, 48, Phoenix, AZ, 3:05:11 151. Kelly Chin, 31, Brooklyn, NY, 3:05:45 152. Jaymee Marty, 44, Sacramento, CA, Impala Racing Team 3:07:32
DNF: Atalelech Asfaw, Mary Akor, Blake Russell, Adriana Nelson, Serena Burla, Molly Pritz, Stephanie Rothstein, Paige Higgins, Meghan Peyton, Terese McWalters, Angie Turner, Caitlin Smith, Magdalena Donahue, Annie Bersagel, Diana Bowser, Brett Ely, Abigail Swift, Yiou Wang, Cassandra Bando, Chris Lundy, Joahha Zeiger, Heather Tanner, Christine Ramsey, Emily Hume, Megan Hepp, Susan Empey, Erin Moeller, Mandy Grantz, Gretchen Hurlbutt, Ann Alyanak, Renee High, Ashley Tollakson, Ruth Perkins.
*Olympic Trials record; previous 2:28:25, Colleen De Reuck, St. Louis, 03-Apr-2004. Also USA Championships record; previous 2:26:26, Julie Brown, 1983
HOUSTON (14-Jan) -- Running in only her second marathon, Shalane Flanagan showed a mastery of the distance in winning the USA Olympic Marathon Trials here today.
Flanagan, 30, who is coached by Jerry Schumacher within the Nike-sponsored Oregon Track Club Elite, ran with the leaders from the gun, but saved enough energy to pull away from her primary rival, Desiree Davila, at the 40-K mark. Clocking 2:25:38, she shattered the previous Trials record by about three minutes.
"The last mile was a cross between savoring the moment and just being really grateful that I was almost done," said the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist at 10,000m. "I knew Desi was charging hard, and I told myself that I just had to have one last gear if she came up on me. So, I tried to approach it like a track race, and know that it's a hard last mile, so if Desi pulls up I've got to have something."
In just two marathons, Flanagan has finished second (New York, 2010, 2:28:40) and first here. The smoothness she showed in the final miles provided ample evidence that she was totally prepared.
"Literally, I didn't enjoy that last mile; it felt really long," she said. "Just couldn't wait for the finish line to get there."
After her runner-up finish in New York, Flanagan dedicated the first quarter of last year to her cross country career, winning the USA title and winning the bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships. She went back to the track in the spring, running 30:39.57 for 10,000m, 14:45.20 for 5000m, winning the USA title at 10,000m, and finishing seventh at the IAAF World Championships in the same discipline.
Flanagan went back to endurance training in the late summer, and started her marathon build-up. She didn't race again until November 13, when she ran her first of two tune-up races at the Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Half-Marathon in 1:10:49, followed-up by a 1:09:58 at the Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half-Marathon on December 11. The latter effort was impressive because of extremely windy conditions, and showed that Flanagan was ready for her race today.
Midway during her marathon training, she began to do some of her workouts with Kara Goucher who had joined her training group. Even though Goucher was about a month behind Flanagan in her training due to an injury, the two women nonetheless helped each other both to get ready for the race, and to execute their race plans today.
"It felt very comforting to know that Kara was in the race today," Flanagan said. "There were a couple of times we pulled up next to each other. It just made it feel like were were at home working out, and kind of had this level of calming effect for me. Kara said just the other day as were doing our shake out, she looked at me and she's like I'm so happy that I'm not doing this alone. We've had a great journey together, and I think it's going to get even better now that we get to train full-time for London."
Now that Flanagan has finished well in tactical races with no pacemakers, she has already begun to think about how fast she can run, and what it would take to win a medal in London.
"That's encouraging," she said of her time today. "When I ran my first marathon it was 2:28:40, but I knew on that day I was in better shape. I knew I was capable of something like this. I believe I'm capable of something even faster, because this was tactical and we were all over the board with some of our splits. It just shows that there is more work to be done to put myself in contention in London."