Former Romanian Marathoner Eyeing U.S. Olympic Trials

She was the runner up at the 2007 Chicago Marathon.

Adriana Pirtea Nelson could have competed in the 2012 Olympics as a Romanian. That would have been easy. However, she’s decided to go the more-difficult route: qualifying for the U.S. team, instead.

Nelson, 31,  has been a Fort Collins, Colorado resident since 2007 and is married to former University of Colorado runner Jeremy Nelson. She became a U.S. citizen in April, which was one week after she received an invitation to compete for Romania.

Nelson has since been cleared by the IAAF to run for the United States.

“I’ve lived here for over eight years, I have my education here, my family’s here,” she said. “Basically, I’m from here now.”

Nelson was a runner-up at the 2007 Chicago Marathon and has placed in the top 10 of numerous major marathons throughout the world. In January, she met the Olympic ‘A’ standard when she ran 2:32:44 at the Osaka International Ladies Marathon.

She will next try to make the U.S. Olympic Marathon team by competing in the Trials, which are being held in Houston next January.

For More: Coloradoan