Don’t look now, but it’s officially race week.
Over 300 of America’s best men and women will toe the line in Orlando to take part in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where three men and three women will earn their spots on the Olympic Team that will represent Team USA in Paris this summer.
The women’s and the men’s field is loaded with talent, and each field is mixed with experienced and inexperienced runners who are looking to make their name on the big stage.
Olympic bronze medalist and former American record holder Deena Kastor is no stranger to competing on the big stage and achieving success. When it comes to high-pressure events like the U.S. Marathon Trials, Kastor says that anything is possible, and that your dreams can be fulfilled regardless of where you’re ranked.
“For anybody listening that might not think that they stand a chance, wipe that doubt aside,” she said. “If Jen Rhines can be ranked 32nd in the field and just nail it on that day, your wildest dreams can come true and you can have the American flag draped around your neck and book your ticket to the Olympic Games.”
Emily Sission headlines the women’s field, as she currently holds the American record in the event with her personal best time of 2:18.29. She will be challenged by a talented group of women that include Molly Seidel, who took home the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the women’s marathon, Laura Thweatt, who finished in fifth place at the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020 and Betsy Saina, who has a personal best time of 2:21.40.
Conner Mantz headlines the men’s field. His personal best time in the event is 2:07.47, which he accomplished at the Chicago Marathon. He and his teammate, Clayton Young, are the only two athletes who have hit the qualifying time for the Olympic Marathon, which assures that Team USA will have two of the three qualifying spots for the Olympic Games.
With the stakes being high, it was only right for Deena and Dom to preview the race and hand out predictions. The graphics below show our top 10 for both the women’s and men’s fields.
We preview the marathon and share our picks over bread and wine on this special episode of Lactic Acid. Watch the episode in the video above, or add it to your queue in Apple Podcasts at the link below.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lactic-acid-with-dominique-smith/id1591874732?i=1000643355794
