FAST FACTS

U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon
Houston, TX, Saturday, January 14, 2012
Downtown 8 mile loop course – 3 laps with 2.2 mile loop before main course

Weather: sunny, clear
Temperature: 39F (start); 54F (finish)
Wind: WSW 9-12 mph

Qualifiers = 158
Declared = 113
Starters = 111
Finishers = 85

Prize purse = $250,000, which includes $20,000 bonus per runner for Olympic Marathon participation, with $50,000 for the Olympic Trials champion

Half-Marathon split = 1:03:25 (Hall, Abdirahman, Ritzenhein, Keflezighi and Trafeh)
First time four men under 2:10 at the Olympic Marathon Trials

This race produced the #2-5 and #9 all-time Olympic Trials performances:
2:09:02   1       Ryan Hall (2008)
2:09:08   1       Meb Keflezighi (2012)
2:09:30   2       Ryan Hall (2012)
2:09:47   3       Abdi Abidrahman (2012)
2:09:55   4       Dathan Ritzenhein (2012)
2:10:19   1       Tony Sandoval (1980)
2:10:41   2      Benji Durden(1980)
2:10:55   3       Kyle Heffner (1980)
2:11:06   5       Brett Gotcher (2012)
2:11:07   2       Dathan Ritzenhein (2008)

The deepest men’s Trials ever with best times for place (#2-15):

Best Time for Place at U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
1st        2:09:02            Ryan Hall (2008)
2nd        2:09:30            Ryan Hall (2012)
3rd        2:09:47            Abdi Abidrahman (2012)
4th        2:09:55            Dathan Ritzenhein (2012)
5th        2:11:06            Brett Gotcher (2012)
6th        2:11:24            Andrew Carlson (2012)
7th        2:11:53            Fernando Cabada (2012)
8th        2:11:56            Nick Arciniaga (2012)
9th        2:12:23            James Carney (2012)
10th      2:12:29            Jimmy Grabow (2012)
11th      2:12:43            Ryan Vail (2012)
12th      2:13:41            Ricky Flynn (2012)
13th      2:13:42            Patrick Rizzo (2012)
14th      2:13:50            Josh Cox (2012)
15th      2:14:04            Ian Burrell (2012)

At age 36, Meb Keflezighi is the oldest U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials men’s champion (previous oldest, Rod DeHaven, 33, in 2000).

Keflezighi’s time – 2:09:08 – was a personal record by 5 seconds.

This is the oldest U.S.men’s Olympic Marathon team with an average age of just under 33-years-old.

Abdi Abdirahman earned his fourth U.S.Olympic team berth; Keflezighi his third and Hall his second.

The second most sub-2:20 performances (50) at the Trials (record 56 in 1980)

21 personal records set by:
Meb Keflezighi, 2:09:08
Dathan Ritzenhein, 2:09:55
Fernando Cabada, 2:11:53
James Carney, 2:12:23
Patrick Rizzo, 2:13:42
Josh Cox, 2:13:50
Mike Morgan, 2:14:22
Max King, 2:14:36
Michael Reneau, 2:14:37
Drew Polley, 2:14:58
Daniel Tapia, 2:15:28
Craig Leon, 2:15:42
Keith Bechtol, 2:16:02
Zachary Hine, 2:16:40
Allen Wagner, 2:17:16
Adam MacDowell, 2:17:27
Donovan Fellow, 2:17:30
Chris Erichsen, 2:17:52
Jeff Jonaitis, 2:17:56
Robert Scribner, 2:18:18
Josh Eberly, 2:18:35

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