FAST FACTS U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon

Houston, TX, Saturday, January 14, 2012

By: Ryan Lamppa, Running USA wire


Downtown 8 mile loop course - 3 laps with 2.2 mile loop before main course

Weather: sunny, clear
Temperature: 40F (start); 57F (finish)
Wind: WSW 9-12 mph

Qualifiers = 225
Declared = 188
Starters = 183
Finishers = 152

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 = 1:13:30 (Hastings, Davila, Flanagan and Goucher)

Shalane Flanagan's 2:25:38 set an Olympic Trials, USA Championship, U.S. Women-Only and personal records (previous records, 2:28:25, Colleen De Reuck, 2004; 2:25:53, Kara Goucher, 2008; 2:26:26, Julie Brown, 1983 and 2:28:40, 2010).

First time five women under 2:30 at the Olympic Marathon Trials

This race produced the #1-4 and #8 all-time Olympic Trials performances:

2:25:38 1 Shalane Flanagan (2012)
2:25:55 2 Desiree Davila (2012)
2:26:06 3 Kara Goucher (2012)
2:27:17 4 Amy Hastings (2012)
2:28:25 1 Colleen De Reuck (2004)
2:29:35 1 Deena Kastor (2008)
2:29:38 2 Deena Kastor (2004)
2:29:45 5 Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (2012)
2:29:50 1 Margaret Groos (1988)
2:29:54 1 Jenny Spangler (1996)

The deepest women's Trials ever with best times for place (#1-15):

Best Time for Place at U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
1st 2:25:38 Shalane Flanagan (2012)
2nd 2:25:55 Desiree Davila (2012)
3rd 2:26:06 Kara Goucher (2012)
4th 2:27:17 Amy Hastings (2012)
5th 2:29:45 Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (2012)
6th 2:30:40 Deena Kastor (2012)
7th 2:30:46 Clara Grandt (2012)
8th 2:31:56 Alissa McKaig (2012)
9th 2:32:16 Dot McMahan (2012)
10th 2:33:42 Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2012)
11th 2:34:01 Katie McGregor (2012)
12th 2:34:25 Wendy Thomas (2012)
13th 2:34:33 Melissa White (2012)
14th 2:35:09 Alisha Williams (2012)
15th 2:35:45 Heidi Westover (2012)

Third Olympic team for Shalane Flanagan; second for Goucher and first for Davila

The most sub-2:40 marathon female performances (41) at the Trials ever (old record, 31 in 1984)

The most female Trials finishers (152) since 1988 (159)

Linda Somers Smith, 50, set a U.S. 50-54 age group record in 2:37:36, good for 28th overall. Somers Smith has qualified for a record 7 Olympic Marathon Trials and in Houston, she finished her 5th Trials race overall.

35 personal records set by:
Shalane Flanagan, 2:25:38
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, 2:29:45
Alissa McKaig, 2:31:56
Heidi Westover, 2:35:45
Brooke Wells, 2:36:24
Loretta Kilmer, 2:36:41
Jeannette Faber, 2:36:50
Michelle Frey, 2:37:03
Erin Nehus, 2:37:06
Sheri Piers, 2:37:09
Kelly Calway, 2:37:10
Camille Herron, 2:37:14
Esther Erb, 2:37:21
Rachel Booth, 2:37:59
Caroline LeFrak, 2:38:14
Devon Crosby-Helms, 2:38:55
Nicole Camp, 2:39:10
Kathleen Castles, 2:39:19
Lauren Philbrook, 2:39:47
Emily Potter, 2:39:55
Kara Storage, 2:39:59
Tara Storage, 2:40:00
Michele Suszek, 2:40:33
Alexandra Blake, 2:40:36
Allison Macsas, 2:40:47
Laura Farley, 2:41:05
Meagan Nedlo, 2:41:06
Jodie Robertson, 2:42:31
Megan Skeels, 2:42:40
Tyler Stewart, 2:44:04
Adrian Chouinard, 2:44:06
Julia Stamps, 2:44:07
Nicole Porath, 2:44:12
Jackie Pirtle-Hall, 2:44:22
Jackie Rzepecki, 2:44:36