Athletes Continue To Qualify For U.S. Marathon Trials

The number of male qualifiers has declined 28% from 2008.

By David Monti

(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

So far 129 men and 166 women have qualified to participate in the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon scheduled for Saturday, January 14, in Houston, Texas.

The number of male qualifiers is down 28% from the 179 qualifiers for the 2008 Trials which were held in New York City in November, 2007.  That’s not surprising because the minimum time standard at the marathon distance to qualify was tightened from 2:22 to 2:19 (men can still qualify with a 65:00 half-marathon or a 28:30 10,000m).

All male qualifiers are considered “A” qualifiers meaning that they will have their travel and lodging paid by the race organizers, the Houston Marathon Committee.  The number of women who have qualified is down only 8% from the 2008 figure of 181.  Women can qualify under either the “A” standard of 2:39, or the “B” standard of 2:46 for the marathon, 75:00 for the half-marathon or 33:00 for 10,000m (only “A” qualifiers have their travel and lodging paid).  The total number of male and female qualifiers will likely rise after the key fall half-marathons are completed.  The qualifying window for both men and women close on Dec. 14, 2011.