Atlanta, GA February 29 - Atlanta saw the largest field for both the Men and the Women USA Olympic Marathon Trials. 210 men qualified for the Men’s race which started twelve minutes before the women’s race. Brian Shrader had a fifty second lead at the half way mark in the Men’s USA Olympic Marathon Trials. Defending USA Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials winner Alan Rupp was in a large chase pack as they closed on Shrader after the half way point. Rupp ran a 4:57 at the 16 mile mark to catch Sharder. Rupp pulled away to cruise to victory qualifying for his fourth Olympics with a time of 2:09.20. The 33-year-old runner won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Games.
Jacob Riley who was an eight time All American at Stanford and won the 2012 USATF Club Cross Country Championship. Riley who finished fifteenth in the 2012 USA Olympic Marathon Trials ran a personal best to take home the silver in 2:10:02.
Abdi Abdirahman was born in Somalia and moved to the USA in 1990 and became an American citizen in 2000 quailed for his fifth Olympics placing third in 2:10:03. At 43, Abdirahman will become the oldest U.S. Olympic runner in history. Meb Keflezighi was 41 years young when he ran in 2016 Olympics..
Rupe, Riley and Abdirahman represent the first U.S. Olympic marathon squad with no men under age 30 since 1952.
Leonard Korir finished a close fourth in 2:10:06 and Augustus placed fifth in 2:10:47.
10th seeded out of 510 qualifiers Kenyan-born and Wichita State University graduate Aliphine Tuliamuk won the women’s race in closest finish ever with her 2:27:23. Tuliamuk who has 31 siblings (dad had four wives) became an American citizen in 2016.
Four time National Champion at Notre Dame Molly Seidel took time off from running as she struggled with depression and an obsessive-compulsive disorder that manifested itself in disordered eating. She returned to college after a year off. After battling some injuries she returned to running and qualified for the Trials last December with her half marathon time of 1:10:27, then in February she ran 1:09:35. Seidel was hoping to finish in the top 20 at the Trials. In her first marathon she amazed herself and everyone else with her runner up finish of 2:27:31. Seidel became the first American woman to earn an Olympic berth in her debut marathon. Her time was the sixth-fastest in Olympic Trials history.
Texas Tech standout and Kenyan-born Sally Kipyego took home the final Olympic spot with her 2:28:52. Kipyego became an American citizen in 2017, five years after winning an Olympic silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 London Games for her native Kenya.
Des Linden (2:29:03) and Laura Thweatt (2:29:08) rounded out the top five.
Sapporo Odori Park in Hokkaido, Japan will be the site of the Olympic Marathon with the women running on August 8th and the men on August 9th.
Top Men
Galen Rupp 2:09:20
Jacob Riley 2:10:02
Abdi Abdirahman 2:10:03
Leonard Korir 2:10:06
Augustus Maiyo 2:10:47
Martin Hehir 2:11:29
Clayton Albertson 2:11:49
Jonas Hampton 2:12:10
Colin Bennie 2:12:14
Matt McDonald 2:12:19
Tyler Pennel 2:12:34
Scot Fauble 2:12:39
Haron Lagat 2:13:04
Brendan Gregg 2:13:27
Colin Mickow 2:13:45
Elkanah Kibet 2:13:52
Josh Izewski 2:14:15
Bernard Lagat 2:14:23
Scott Smith 2:14:49
Nicolas Montanez 2:15:02
Samuel Chelanga 2:15:04
Jim Walmsley 2:15:05
Ahmed Osman 2:15:26
Grant Fischer 2:15:32
Connor McMillan 2:15:55
Jared Ward 2:15:55
Top Women
Aliphine Tuliamuk 2:27:23
Molly Seidel 2:27:31
Sally Kipyego 2:28:52
Des Linden 2:29:03
Laura Thweatt 2:29:08
Stephanie Bruce 2:29:11
Emma Bates 2:29:35
Kellyn Taylor 2:29:55
Nell Rojas 2:30:29
Julia Kohnen 2:30:43
Sarah Sellers 2:31:48
Lindsay Flanagan 2:32:05
Brittany Charboneau 2:33:14
Kate Landau 2:34:07
Keira D'Amato 2:34:24
Rebecca Wade 2:35:12
Jennifer Bergman 2:36:11
Bethany Sachtleben 2:36:34
Jaci Smith 2:36:34
Carrie Dimoff 2:36:41
Kelsey Bruce 2:36:51
Kaitlyn Peace 2:37:12
Christina Aleshire 2:37:20
Lauren Weaver 2:37:48
Molly Grabill 2:37:57
Jordan Hasay 2:37:57
Bria Wetsch 2:37:58
Ohio Runners
Men
Name Hometown Qualifying Time Place Time
Eric Finan New Richmond 2:16:42 48 2:18:54
Evan Gaynor Perrysburg 2:17:29 72 2:21:46
Nathaniel Orndorf Akron 2:18:51 114 2:26:09
Luke Hickman Mentor 2:18:08 156 2:33:34
Justin Taylor Columbus 2:18:35 159 2:35:22
Other starters
Evan Swartz Columbus 2:18:17
Jason Witt Columbus 2:18:22
Formerly from Ohio
Craig Leon Van Wert 2:13:41 41 2:17:54
Ohio Runners
Women
Name Hometown Qualifying Time Place Time
Christina Murphy Columbus 2:40:43 92 2:43:41
Maria Scavuzzo Miamisburg 2:37:51 124 2:45:10
Sakiko Minagawa Dublin 2:44:49 142 2:46:15
Ann Alyanak Bellbrook 2:42:32 147 2:46:32
Amy Robillard Montgomery 2:43:51 157 2:46:52
Elizabeth Gleason Dayton 2:44:41 167 2:47:29
Emma McCarron Mansfield 2:43:18 199 2:48:46
Sarah Biehl Hilliard 2:44:24 214 2:49:37
Sarah Horbol Westlake 2:42:58 221 2:49:55
Elizabeth Herndon Kent 2:37:27 229 2:50:26
Katie Ruhlman Dayton 2:44:14 256 2:51:45
Mackenzie Chojnacky Maumee 2:42:34 277 2:52:34
Sarah Bishop Beavercreek 2:42:46 332 2:57:25
Nicole Camp Sterling 2:43:34 361 3:01:56
Laura Kaulen Hilliard 2:42:48 380 3:11:01
Other starters
Becki Spellman Galloway 2:41:49
Maura Lemon Dayton 2:42:42
Sarah Biehl Hilliard 2:44:25
