Olympic Marathon Trials (Read 246 times)

dpschumacher


3 months til Masters

    I know Ryan Root is running the trials. Are there any other runners on here competing? If so, add their info below. Also if you know anyone running, drop a little about info on them below so we can follow along. I'm super excited about following the front of the race, but my college roommate ran in the last trials and tracking him was also amazing.

     

    Long story short...who should we follow that is likely not going to get any coverage but should get some fan love.

    2023 Goals

    Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18

    10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)

    5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)

    Sub 1:16 Half Marathon  City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)

    Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)

     

    2024 Goals

    Sub 2:37 Marathon

    Sub 1:15 Half

    Sub 34 10k

    Sub 16 5k

     

     

    Running Problem


    Problem Child

      Jim Walmsley. Great ultra runner and it will be fun to see him compete. I will say I don't expect him to make the team. If it is hot he would be MY favorite to do well just with his ultra marathon training results. Yes I'm aware States was almost perfect weather for his record. I just think there is a lot more "wouldn't it be awesome to see Jim..." going on than openly looking at the field.

       

      It should be interesting to watch the race unfold.

      Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

      VDOT 53.37 

      5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

      dpschumacher


      3 months til Masters

        Yea. I think there is a good chance at him being top 10 at least.

        2023 Goals

        Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18

        10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)

        5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)

        Sub 1:16 Half Marathon  City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)

        Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)

         

        2024 Goals

        Sub 2:37 Marathon

        Sub 1:15 Half

        Sub 34 10k

        Sub 16 5k

         

         

          Jim Walmsley.

           

          NYT article (if you can get past the paywall), for anyone who doesn’t know about him (I didn’t).

          Dave

          dpschumacher


          3 months til Masters

            Chris Chavez at Sports illustrated just did one too on him. Not paywalled.

            2023 Goals

            Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18

            10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)

            5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)

            Sub 1:16 Half Marathon  City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)

            Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)

             

            2024 Goals

            Sub 2:37 Marathon

            Sub 1:15 Half

            Sub 34 10k

            Sub 16 5k

             

             

            M_M_C


              A few worth following:

               

              Sean O'Connor (https://www.strava.com/athletes/22562389) - D3 Athlete, 0X All American

              Jacob Andrews (https://www.strava.com/athletes/33186489?oq=andrews) - D3 Athlete , 0X All American

              Jeffery Seelaus (https://www.strava.com/athletes/26321104) - D3 Athlete, 0X All American

               

              The first two are on here

              3K: 8:29.12 (2017)     5K: 14:56.59 (2016)     8K: 25:27 (2016)     15K: 53:46 (2022)     HM: 75:41 (2022)     FM: 2:43:17 (2022)

              JMac11


              RIP Milkman

                Definitely going to watch the trials, should be fun. I'm glad it's on NBC and not buried on the Olympic Channel.

                 

                I will say I go back and forth on the qualifying times. On one hand, they clearly need to be re-calibrated, as I would say 90% of the field has NO shot of making the team, which I can't imagine is the goal of setting these standards. On the other hand, I think it's cool that the standards are a bit "soft" to give all of the sub-elites something to chase after.

                5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                 

                 

                dpschumacher


                3 months til Masters

                  Perfect!

                   

                  A few worth following:

                   

                  Sean O'Connor (https://www.strava.com/athletes/22562389) - D3 Athlete, 0X All American

                  Jacob Andrews (https://www.strava.com/athletes/33186489?oq=andrews) - D3 Athlete , 0X All American

                  Jeffery Seelaus (https://www.strava.com/athletes/26321104) - D3 Athlete, 0X All American

                   

                  The first two are on here

                  2023 Goals

                  Marathon Sub 2:37 (CIM) 2:41:18

                  10k Sub 35:00 (Victory 10k 34:19)

                  5k Sub 16:00 (Hot Dash 5k in March (16:48), Brian Kraft in May (16:20), Twilight 5000 in July and August (16:20/16:25 Both heat index 102-103F)

                  Sub 1:16 Half Marathon  City of Lakes Half Marathon 1:15:47)

                  Sub 56:30 in 10 mile (Twin Cities 10 mile, Canceled due to weather, 56:35 as a workout)

                   

                  2024 Goals

                  Sub 2:37 Marathon

                  Sub 1:15 Half

                  Sub 34 10k

                  Sub 16 5k

                   

                   

                    Dan Vassallo

                     

                    I've known him since he was 16 and running track and xc for a local high school. One day in like 2003 I realized that he was using me as a pacer in road races--I had become one of those old guys who you could count on to run a consistent pace, so he'd hang behind me to keep from going out too fast then blow by me in the last half mile. His parents were still driving him to road races at that point. After a couple years of using me as a pace bunny and being a decent but not outstanding high school runner, he went away to D3 Colby College in Maine, grew like 6 inches and graduated the school record holder at 10,000m. The same year he graduated, he won his debut marathon, the 2007 Maine Marathon, in 2:26. A couple of years later he broke his own course record at that race in 2:21. His current PR is 2:17:28--he's run in the 2:17s twice, once winning Philly in 2014, and again at CIM last year. He was 10th place overall at Boston in 2016 (the really bad weather year).

                     

                    He was always really loyal to me, maybe for the pacing help when he was a teenager, or maybe because that's just how he is. But when I was the race director for a local 5k for 10 years, he came and won the race every year that he was healthy, eventually taking down the course record which had been run by a local former D1 college runner. His wife is also a really good/tough runner. When I was racing a lot in my early 40's and running all of the NE GP races, he'd always make it a point to say hi and chat for a while before or after races. He helped organize a half marathon in his hometown for a few years and I won it in 2010 when nobody fast showed up--in a time 10 minutes slower than his course record from the year before, haha.

                     

                    He says the trials are his retirement from Marathons.

                     

                    He never runs with GPS and his only Strava runs are when he takes his phone and is just screwing around.

                    His run on January 29th included the edge of my town and was just a flex to take down about 6 segments.

                     

                    He's also a decent follow on Twitter. Mostly a lot of Jeezy lyrics, inside commentary on doping in T&F, the Red Sox, and weird Celtics twitter: https://twitter.com/OkayTUNA14

                    Runners run

                    flyrunnr


                      Jim Walmsley. Great ultra runner and it will be fun to see him compete. I will say I don't expect him to make the team. If it is hot he would be MY favorite to do well just with his ultra marathon training results. Yes I'm aware States was almost perfect weather for his record. I just think there is a lot more "wouldn't it be awesome to see Jim..." going on than openly looking at the field.

                       

                      It should be interesting to watch the race unfold.

                      I like Jim. I'd think a good half marathoner has a better chance of a podium at the Trials, just because it a race on placement. An ultrarunner will likely always get crushed in head-to-head race to the finish, especially if the pace goes out slow, the good 10K and half runners will be smiling until the final miles.

                       

                      Molly Huddle used to be unbeatable in the half marathon, now Sara Hall can out kick her, but that is probably a good sign that Molly Huddle is finally marathon training. Smile

                      https://www.strava.com/athletes/2507437

                      PR's - 5K - 17:57 (2017) | 10K - 38:06 (2016)  | 13.1 1:23:55 (2019)  | 26.2  2:58:46 (2017)

                      2020 Goals - Sub-2:55 Marathon                       Up Next: TBD, Boston on 9/14?

                       

                      xhristopher


                        He never runs with GPS and his only Strava runs are when he takes his phone and is just screwing around.

                        His run on January 29th included the edge of my town and was just a flex to take down about 6 segments.

                         

                        That Chestnut Hill segment is bonkers.

                        darkwave


                        Mother of Cats

                          I've got three teammates going:  Susanna Sullivan, Jillian Pollack, and Rachel Viger.

                           

                          Definitely going to watch the trials, should be fun. I'm glad it's on NBC and not buried on the Olympic Channel.

                           

                          I will say I go back and forth on the qualifying times. On one hand, they clearly need to be re-calibrated, as I would say 90% of the field has NO shot of making the team, which I can't imagine is the goal of setting these standards. On the other hand, I think it's cool that the standards are a bit "soft" to give all of the sub-elites something to chase after.

                           

                          It's a good question: what is the goal?  IMHO, picking the team is only one of many goals.  Development is another big one, as is promotion of the sport.

                           

                          The women's trials standard is unquestionably much weaker than the men's.  The US also has far more depth in the marathon on the women's side - I believe those two points are connected.  For that reason, I'd personally like to see the women's standard stay at 2:45, and the men's get lifted to 2:23 or even 2:25.

                           

                          I believe the US swimming Olympic trials also have a fairly weak standard, in that many make the trials who have no legitimate shot at making the team.  They aim for 1200-1400 to make the trials and then they just have lots of preliminary rounds.   And just look at how competitive US swimmers are globally.

                           

                          Packing 1400 people into a competition where only 8 can swim at once has to be logistically much harder than having a few extra hundred people in a marathon.  Yes, it's hard to manage bottles for that many people, but you can just solve that the old fashioned way: meet the World Athletics Olympic Standard and you get bottles on course; qualify with the B standard and just do water tables the old fashioned way.

                           

                          We benefit from having a big pipeline to get runners up to the top.  A relatively weak standard helps us here, at minimal cost.

                          Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

                           

                          And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

                             

                            That Chestnut Hill segment is bonkers.

                             

                            That was on a different run, but yeah, I'd say it's finally out of reach. He took it from Hudson and it finishes *at Hudson's house* which has to sting. He has to look at it every day.

                            Runners run

                            Running Problem


                            Problem Child

                              Fly You're probably right on going slow and a fast finish. I think Jim is one of a FEW ultra runners who can run their own race any day of the week. Just with how he went after the record at States from the start, and people were saying he was going to fast waiting for him to blow up all day long until 80% of the race was done shows ME he can run his own race.

                               

                              Mikey I think it's cool you had that kid on your heels. There is a kid here I kept track of for a bit when his dad was putting stuff on the face page. He might not make the Olympic team but I'm sure I'll look his name up when high school track season is going on. His Strava comment is awesome. Malbec hungover must be different than crafty beers hungover.

                               

                              I tried to setup a recording because I thought the trials were this weekend. I guess they're February 29 so I'll be on the couch watching them like it's a NASCAR race. 2-3 hours of staring at the television...but it's is for the olympics and my wife knows I'm very impressed by people's physical abilities.

                               

                              EDIT:

                              JMac I mean....they could do what gymnastics and figure skating does and just pick their favorites who they think will do the best. Cut out the trials all together and save everyone the time, money and effort of putting the race on. It isn't as if there has ever been a marathon trial go different than what was expected, right? Just pick the fast runners we expect to win, mail them to the tallest mountain with a track and 14 mile long stretch of road, and call it good.

                               

                              Only 4 men from the 2000 marathon trials would even qualify today and they didn't even get into the olympics. 2004 we had to change the course apparently from what I read on the internet just so we could get a qualifier.

                              Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

                              VDOT 53.37 

                              5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

                                I have two teammates running in the women's race so I'm heading down with 10-12 teammates to yell loud and frequently.  Should be really fun to see both races unfold.