Olympic Trials - Where Pros and Amateurs Mix

259 women and 217 men qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Not trying to be "downer" but only 10 in each race have an honest chance at finishing in the top 3 and going to Rio for the Summer Olympic Games. My local Portland running friends and thousands of other runners planned the last four years of their lives around running a marathon or half-marathon fast enough to earn a spot in this race!

You may wonder why so many people do that? What’s the big deal about the Marathon Trials? Mike Cassidy answered those questions eloquently in an essay he wrote for LetsRun:

“For the vast majority of the qualifiers ... the Trials is itself the crowning accomplishment, the reward for having earned a place in American distance running’s most exclusive club. Most of them harbor no illusions about making the team (okay, maybe some illusions), or, for that matter, even finishing the race. For them, the Trials is a victory lap, a chance to rub shoulders with their heroes—their equals for a weekend.

But it is the presence of these satisfied qualifiers—and the family and friends they bring along for the ride—perhaps as much as anything else, that helps create the festive, convivial atmosphere that pervades Trials weekend.

In many sports, championships are clouded by the antagonism of the warring factions, a cauldron of conflict, hostility, and stress congealed into a toxic stew. But the Trials are different, because running is different. Despite the magnitude of the moment, the mood is mutually supportive. Rare in sport, or in life, is something so fierce so friendly.”

In running, the line between amateur and professional is vague or non-existent. It is funny to think about -- to me atleast! There are no local dudes pedaling beach-cruzer bikes in the Tour de France. In baseketball, soccer, football, or gymnastics, the amateurs watch from behind the railing! It is pretty cool how running works---the sport is populist by nature.

The Marathon Trials is where pros and amateurs mix.

For a small handful of people the Marathon Trials is about placing in the top 3 for a place on the USA Olympic team, but for the hundreds of people like me, it’s a once-every-four-years party! Meb, Shalane, Des, Kara—pros known by their first name—get plenty of recognition. The Marathon Trials ALSO recognizes hardworking, overlooked, locally-ranked strivers. In running terms, we are frequently referred to as the “elite” and “sub-elite.”

I want to give a shout out to companies, like Oiselle, that sponsors elite women like me AND professionals like Kara Goucher. Oiselle embodies the beauty of running---community support and being a "superfan".

I can guarantee you will hear the cowbells and cheers from the Oiselle superfans at the Trials on February 13 in Los Angeles. This is six months prior to the Rio Olympics, giving the top 3 Marathon placers enough time to fully recover and launch a final vigorous training cycle. The other Marathon Trials celebrants (like yours truly) will be back at their day jobs on Monday, mapping out the next four years…Probably trying to get a ticket back to the party!

See course map below.