by Alfonz JuckThe course did not have a flat section on it. The winds hit you hard in the face, and made the course even harder. Put 230 of the finest U.S. men and 460 of the finest US women, and you had a day of reckoning. The Atlanta Track Club did a fantastic job, and the accolades came from athletes, coaches and fans.
In the mens race, the big pack as about 50 seconds back from 8:27 steeple/2;13.27 marathon man Brian Shrader, who lead the marathon by 50 seconds at the halfway in 1:04:53. Galen Rupp put in a big surge, taking the lead between 16-17. Augustus Maiyo, Leonard Korir, Abdi Abdiraham and Matt McDonald were there. Then comes Jacob Riley and the battle for second raged as Galen Rupp looked better and better as he began to move away, taking the second OT marathon title, (equalling only Frank Shorter’s 2 wins) in 2:09.20. Jacob Riley took second in 2:10.02 PB and Abdi Abdirahman took the bronze irrn 2:10:03.
The men’s and women’s US Olympic teams for the Tokyo 2020 Marathon team! photo by AJC
Aliphine Tuliamuk and Molly Seidel broke away after 21 miles with Emily Sisson, Molly Huddle, Des Linden, Emma Bates, Laura Thweat, Kellyn Taylor all there. Seidel, in her debut, and Tuliamuk and Kipyego wanted the team badly, and they made it. The three 8 mile loops were tough enough, but the wind, the cold and the fans all kept the marathoners in a state of constant involvement. Aliphine Tuliamuk took the women’s title in 2:27.23, Molly Seidel was second, in her debut, in 2:27.31, and Sally Kipyego was third in 2:28:52. Des Linden was a heart breaking 2:29.03, 11 seconds back!
The Atlanta Track Club put on an excellent Olympic Trials.
Aliphine Tuliamuk, photo by Getty Images for World Athletics
Rupp and Tuliamok
ATLANTA (USA, Feb 29): Galen Rupp and Aliphine Tuliamuk were the winners on a day of surprises at the US Olympic Trials Marathon. Rupp completed back-to-back marathon trials wins by a margin of 42 seconds in 2:09:20. In cold conditions, the man who has won 10,000m silver and marathon bronze over the last two Games pulled away after 16 miles. Jake Riley was a shock second with a 2:10:02 PB after taking a close three-way battle for the minor medals over the final few miles. Abdi Abdirahman, at 43, is set to become the oldest American to run at the Olympics after a third place earned him his fifth Games appearance. He crossed the line in 2:10:03, three seconds ahead of Leonard Korir 2:10:06. Augustine Maiyo was fifth 2:10:47. Bernard Lagat, who at 45, was also bidding to make his fifth Olympics, was 18th (2:14:23). Favourite Jared Ward was just 27th in 2:15:55. Tuliamuk qualified to compete in her first Olympics after clocking 2:27:23 to come home eight seconds clear 2:27:31 – the smallest winning margin in US trials history. The Kenyan-born runner broke away from Molly Seidel in the last mile on the tough course. After a successful debut over the distance, Seidel is set to race at her first Olympics. Sally Kipyego, who won silver for Kenya over 10,000m in London 2012, will make her Olympic return after finishing third in 2:28:52. One of the favourites, Desi Linden, a former Boston Marathon winner missed out in fourth in 2:29:03. Laura Thweatt was fifth another five seconds back 2:29:08. Two of the favourites, Emily Sisson and Sara Hall, pulled out in the 22nd and 23rd miles respectively.
