as Host of 2012 U.S. Olympic
Marathon Trials
First time a single city
is chosen for both men’s and women’s races
HOUSTON (Mar. 1,
2010)
– The road to the 2012 Olympic Marathon in London will run through Houston. For
the first time in the history of the U.S. Olympic Trials, one city will host
the marathon for both men and women in the same year.
The
2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials will be held in Houston January 14, 2012, a day
prior to the 40th anniversary run of the Houston Marathon. The races
will determine the runners who will represent the United States in the marathon
at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
“The
Houston Marathon Committee has done an outstanding job of organizing our
national half marathon races over the past several years and has distinguished
itself as a world-class host for championship events,” said Doug Logan,
president of USA Track & Field. “Bringing both Olympic Trials marathons to
Houston will allow our runners to benefit from the tremendous community and
corporate support that have helped make the Houston Marathon one of the best
run road races in the country.”
Houston
will be hosting the women’s Olympic Marathon Trials for the second time. The
city was the site of the 1992 Trials, a race won by Janis Klecker in 2:30:12. It
will be the first time Houston has hosted the men’s marathon trials. New York
and Boston also were considered as host sites for the 2012 races.
“We
are very proud to be chosen as the Olympic Trials host city for the one of the
marquee events of the Olympic Games,” said Houston Marathon Committee board
chair Brant Kotch. “Through our involvement with the U.S. Half Marathon Championships,
we have developed a strong partnership with USATF, and we are looking forward
to having the eyes of the running world on Houston in January 2012.”
Both
Trials races will be run on the morning of January 14, with the women’s event
expected to start before the men’s. The specific race schedule, as well as
details about the 26.2-mile course, will be announced later.
Men
seeking to qualify for the race must achieve one of the following “A standards”:
2:19:00 marathon, 1:05:00 half marathon or 28:30 for 10,000m. Women’s
qualifying marks include an A and B standard for the marathon (2:39:00 and
2:46:00, respectively), along with 1:15:00 for the half marathon and 33:00 for
10,000m. Complete qualifying guidelines are available on the USATF Web site – www.usatf.org.
To
date, 76 men and 58 women have qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials. The
top three finishers in each race will make the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
The Houston
Marathon Committee, Inc. is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that plans a
multi-race running event embodying the spirit and energy of Houston, Texas.
Formed in 1972, the Committee is
overseen by a board of directors, eight staff members and approximately 7,000
race-day volunteers. To learn more about
the Houston Marathon Committee, visit www.houstonmarathon.com or call 713-957-3453.