FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jim Estes
LDR Programs Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4661
Boston, New York to host 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials
INDIANAPOLIS - One of the most celebrated pre-Olympic events, the 2008 U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials, will be hosted by two of the world's most
distinguished marathon organizers. USA Track & Field on Thursday awarded
the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials -Women's Marathon to the Boston Athletic
Association and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon to the
New York Road Runners.
"The successful bids from the B.A.A and NYRR to host the 2008 Olympic
Marathon Trials create an opportunity to continue and expand an established
working relationship," said USATF CEO Craig A. Masback. "Working together,
we will create a higher level of visibility for the sport and our athletes.
Both cities will put on world-class events as our athletes attempt to
fulfill their Olympic dreams, using fan-friendly race formats that will
make the races even more appealing."
Women take to Beantown
The B.A.A. will host the women's event on Sunday, April 20, 2008, the day
before the 112th running of the Boston Marathon.
Starting and finishing at the traditional Boston Marathon finish line on
Boylston Street, the Olympic Trials race will feature a specially designed
course that tours historic Boston with a one-time loop that passes Boston
Public Garden, Boston Common, the State House and Beacon Hill.
The course will then feature four loops of approximately six miles each
proceeding down Commonwealth Avenue, crossing the Charles River into
Cambridge using the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, running east, then west
along Memorial Drive. Runners then return from each of the Core Loops via
Massachusetts Avenue.
"There's nothing in our sport quite like the Boston Marathon and Patriots'
Day weekend," said Guy Morse, Executive Director, Boston Athletic
Association. "The B.A.A. and the greater Boston running community are
pleased and excited to have been selected to host the USA's best female
marathoners in their Olympic quest. Like much of the City itself, the
B.A.A. has worked to make this course and will work to make the next
Olympic Trials experience unique to Boston. This is a downtown course in a
city synonymous with running."
Men hit the Big Apple
NYRR, the organization behind the world's largest marathon, leading
advocate of American long distance running, and organizer of a year-round
calendar of races in Central Park, successfully bid to conduct the men's
Olympic Trials during the Marathon weekend of November 2, 2007. The course
is expected to be a criterium-style course in Central Park that will start
and finish near Tavern on the Green. It will be the reverse of the loop
used when NYRR hosted the USA 8K Championships from 2002 to 2004. Athletes
will run the loop five times, with distance added to complete the full
42.195K of the marathon.
"We are honored to be named as host for the 2008 Men's Olympic Marathon
Trials," said Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of New York Road Runners.
"At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens we entered the next great era of
American marathon running, as we build upon that foundation we look forward
to crowning our American superstars on the ultimate stage - New York City."
Significant prize money
Both events will provide $250,000 in prize money in addition to paying
travel and lodging costs for athletes who achieve the Olympic Trials "A"
qualifying standard of 2:39:00 for women and 2:20:00 for men. In 2004, 24
women and 14 men met the Olympic Trials "A" standard.
In 2004, a total of 120 women and 85 men competed in their respective
Olympic Trials races.
In addition to marathon times, women can qualify by running a track time of
33:00 or faster for 10,000 meters and men can run qualifying standards by
achieving track performances of 13:40 for 5,000 meters or 28:45 for 10,000
meters. Athletes who achieve these times or qualify with a marathon time
faster than 2:47:00 for women and 2:22:00 for men may compete in the race
but do not receive funding. There are currently 46 women and 67 men
qualified to compete in the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon.
A one-day qualifying opportunity took place at the USA Marathon
Championships hosted by the Twin Cities Marathon on October 2, 2005. The
regular qualifying window for athletes to achieve their qualifying times
began January 1 and will go through March 23, 2008 for women and October 7,
2007 for men. Olympic qualifying standards have not yet been set by the
International Association of Athletics Federations.
For more information visit www.usatf.org
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