Saint Louis has a wonderful history in athletics. From fantastic track and field athletes to fine Olympians and to hosting the Olympics in 1904, Saint Louis provides history, context, and culture.
The very entertaining story of the first Olympic marathon held in the U.S., from the 1904 Olympics in Saint Louis, can be found here: The story was written Genevieve Carlton, and titled:.“Inside The 1904 Olympic Marathon So Disastrous That The Sport Was Nearly Banned.” AllThatsInteresting.com, March 22, 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/1904-olympic-marathon. It is a very good read.
The 1904 Olympic marathon was open only to men. The first Olympic marathon for women was in 1984, and it required a lawsuit by prominent women runners to be approved. Remember, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was not a fan of women competing in sports nor of non-whites (“colonials” as he called them in 1894). Courbertin, however complicated he was, did champion the Olympic movement in the modern era.
In 2004, when Saint Louis so wonderfully hosted the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team Trials, the event was championed by Nancy Lieberman, who was president of GO! St. Louis until a few years ago! Nancy was a pistol, and she loved Saint Louis, the Marathon in Saint Louis, and the Olympic Trials. She and her daughter are adventurers, having climbed Mount Kiliminjaro. The 2004 Olympic Team Trials for women was won by Colleen DeReuck, in 2:28.25, with Deena Kastor in second in 2:29:38, and Jen Rhines in 2:29.57 for third.
In Athens 2004 Olympics, Deena Kastor won the Olympic bronze, in 2:27:20 in terribly hot and humid8 conditions going from 18th midway in the race to third at the end! Jen Rhines was 34th in 2:43.52. Colleen de Reuck was 39th in 2:46.30. This writer was at both the Marathon Trials in Saint Louis and the Athens Olympic Marathons.
We congratulate GO! Saint Louis, the St.Louis Sports Commission and USATF on this announcement! Having the Marathon Trials in the midwest will inspire another generaiton of young men and young women to aspire to the Olympic ideals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Louis to Host 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon
INDIANAPOLIS – One hundred twenty-four years after hosting the first Olympic marathon ever contested on U.S. soil, St. Louis will once again play a pivotal role in America’s Olympic marathon history.
USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced today that St. Louis will host the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon on March 25, 2028, where six athletes – three men and three women – will earn spots on Team USA for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
Organized by the St. Louis Sports Commission in partnership with GO! St. Louis, the event will celebrate the city’s rich Olympic legacy while showcasing the energy and evolution of modern St. Louis. The event will be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. CT.
The course will take athletes through some of the city’s most iconic locations, including WashU — site of the 1904 Olympic stadium, the world’s oldest modern-day Olympic stadium still in active use — and Forest Park, the cultural heart of St. Louis. The route will also highlight iconic landmarks such as the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium before finishing inside Energizer Park, home of St. Louis CITY SC. The final course layout will be announced in the coming months.
“We are proud to name St. Louis as the host of the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “Throughout the bid process, the local organizing committee demonstrated the professionalism, vision, and passion necessary to host one of the most important events on the road to Los Angeles. We are confident this event will provide an exceptional experience for the entire running community and ensure the top runners are prepared to face the world’s best in LA.”
“The U.S. Olympic Team Trials consistently showcase some of the best competition in the world, and we are thrilled to have the opening event for LA28 take place in St. Louis – the city that hosted America’s Olympic marathon debut in 1904,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “This race will determine the initial members of Team USA for the Olympic Games returning to home soil after more than 30 years and mark the beginning of the road to LA28.”
“It is a wonderful privilege and opportunity for our region to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon,” said St. Louis Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber. “We’re grateful for the trust instilled in us by USATF and thrilled to renew our longstanding relationship with the organization. As America’s first Olympic city, we’re also ecstatic to add another exciting chapter to our rich Olympic history – not to mention further connect St. Louis to the 2028 LA Games. With St. Louis hosting the Marathon Trials and Olympic Soccer matches, it is going to be a special year for our community. Thank you to all of our regional partners, including GO! St. Louis, for supporting the effort to bring the Trials here.”
St. Louis’ history in Olympic track & field and road racing extends far beyond the 1904 Olympic Games. The city hosted the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon and is home to Olympic gold medalists Ray Armstead (1984, 4x100m relay), Dawn Harper-Nelson (2008, 100m hurdles), and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, one of the greatest athletes in Olympic history, who won gold medals in the heptathlon and long jump in 1988 and the heptathlon again in 1992.
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as host of the 2028 Marathon Trials,” said St. Louis Organizing Committee Co-Chair Jackie Joyner-Kersee. “St. Louis is ready to step up to deliver a first-class experience and provide a special energy the athletes will feed off as they push their limits to make Team USA. This is much more than just hosting a race – our plans include using the power and influence of the Olympic Trials in St. Louis to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people throughout the region, inspiring them to chase their dreams and believe anything is possible.”
The 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon will be the first Olympic team selection event held for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games across all sports.
To qualify for the event, athletes must achieve the following standards during the designated qualification window:
• Men: 2:16:00
• Women: 2:37:00
An additional “A” standard, which will include travel and accommodation support, will be determined by the local organizing committee. Additional event details and qualification information can be found here.
###
ABOUT USATF
Based in Indianapolis, USA Track & Field® (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long distance running, and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the number one high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
ABOUT USOPC
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s elite athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. The USOPC is entirely privately funded through the generosity of the American public and the support of many commercial partners. Visit USOPC.org and TeamUSA.com for more information.
ABOUT ST. LOUIS SPORTS COMMISSION
The St. Louis Sports Commission is the independent, privately funded nonprofit organization that grows, strengthens and moves St. Louis forward through sports. The organization uses the power of sports to enhance the area’s quality of life and generate economic and social benefit for the St. Louis region.
ABOUT GO! ST. LOUIS
GO! St. Louis is a premier event production organization and nonprofit dedicated to growing and inspiring the running and active lifestyle community throughout the St. Louis region and across the greater Midwest. Through world-class races and fitness events, community partnerships, school-based programming and year-round engagement initiatives, GO! St. Louis creates opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds to embrace healthy, active lifestyles.
