ATLANTA — More than 500 men and women are set to participate in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Atlanta on Saturday including some past Olympic medalists with dreams of glory in Tokyo.
We're gathered some of the names and stats of top-performing athletes that could be standouts in the upcoming trials along with details about how men and women qualify for the event.
Top Five Men's Qualifiers
Galen Rupp - 33 years old, from Portland, Ore. Qualifying Race: 2018 Volkswagen Prague Marathon
2016 Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist
2012 Olympic 10,000m Silver Medalist
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon Champion
First American since Billy Mills in 1964 to win an Olympic medal at 10,000m
In late 2018, underwent surgery to correct Haglund's deformity; has not finished a marathon since Chicago 2018 but had a good tuneup half marathon on February 8, a 1:01:19 win
Father of three, including 5-year-old twins
Leonard Korir - 33 years old, from Colorado Springs. Colo. Qualifying Race: 2019 TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Didn't start running until he was 20, then became a 2-time NCAA Champion and 8-time All-American
Joined the U.S. Army in 2015, and now competes for its World Class Athletics Program; gained U.S. citizenship in 2016
2016 Olympian, 10,000m
In Amsterdam, ran the fastest-ever marathon debut by an American
10-time USATF Champion, including a 2017 10K title from his victory at the AJC Peachtree Road Race
Scott Fauble - 28 years old, from Flagstaff, Ariz. Qualifying Race: 2019 Boston Marathon
With coach Ben Rosario, wrote 2018 book "Inside A Marathon," has podcast called Showrunners where he talks with other runners about movies
4th, 2016 Olympic Trials 10,000m
Competed for Team USA at 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
7th, 2018 TCS New York City Marathon and 2019 Boston Marathon
A favorite running memory is the first time he ran 10 miles in high school with his teammates; it was raining and "so hard and so tiring and just the purest thing I've experienced"
Jared Ward - 31 years old, from Mapeton, UtahQualifying Race: 2019 Boston Marathon
On the Adjunct Statistics Faculty at BYU
6th in the 2016 Olympic Marathon
Married his high school sweetheart, Erica Christensen; they met on the track team when she was a hurdler. They have four children: Paul (7), Ellie (5), Julia (3), and Magnolia (1)
Considers convincing Erica to marry him as the #1 accomplishment of his life
Ran his last race in college with a stress fracture in his left fibula, which broke all the way through in the race
Jake Riley - 31 years old, from Boulder, Colo. Qualifying Race: 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Masters Student at University of Colorado and Tutor at Mindfish Test Prep
Finished 15th in 2016 Trials
Took three years off racing while battling Achilles issues; finally had surgery for Haglund's syndrome
Top American in 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon after not running a marathon since the 2016 Trials
"Supposedly on my mother's side I'm descended from Scottish pirates, so that's fun"
Top Five Women's Qualifiers
Jordan Hasay - 28 years old, from Arroyo Grande, Calif. Qualifying Race: 2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Fastest qualifier in the Trials field
Second-fastest American woman of all time in the marathon
Ran fastest debut marathon ever by an American woman when she finished 3rd in Boston in 2017 (2:23:00)
Two-time Footlocker Cross Country Champion in high school and an 18-time All-American at the University of Oregon
Sara Hall - 36 years old, from Flagstaff, Ariz. Qualifying Race: 2019 BMW Berlin Marathon
2011 Pan American Games 3000m steeplechase champion
Won three national titles in 2019, at 10K, 10 Miles and 20K. Has won national titles in her career at distances from the mile to the marathon
Married to Ryan Hall, fastest U.S. marathoner in history; he is retired but now coaches her. They have four adopted daughters from Ethiopia: Hana, Mia, Jasmine, and Lily. She considers adopting them her greatest accomplishment
This will be her fifth Olympic Trials. Ran the 2016 Marathon Trials but did not finish. Competed in 2012 Trials in the steeplechase, finishing 8th; 2008 Trials at 1500m, finishing 9th; 2004 Trials at 5000m, finishing 11th
Co-founder of the Hall Steps Foundations, helping vulnerable women and children in East Africa
Emily Sisson - 28 years old, from Providence, RIQualifying Race: 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon
In 2017, ran the fastest half marathon debut by an American woman (1:08:21) and in 2018 ran the fastest American marathon debut ever on a record-eligible course (2:23:08)
Two-time USATF Champion - 10K in 2016, 5K in 2018
Two-time NCAA Champion; NCAA record-holder at 5000m
Her fastest half marathon (1:07:30) is just five seconds off training partner Molly Huddle's American record
Kellyn Taylor - 33 years old, from Flagstaff, Ariz. Qualifying Race: HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite
6th in 2016 marathon Trials; 4th in 2016 track Trials
Won 2018 Grandma's Marathon, her OTQ race, in a course record
She and husband, Kyle, have a 9-year-old daughter, Kylyn, and are active as foster parents
Kyle was deployed in Afghanistan when daughter was born; first met her on a two-week leave when she was a month old
She is certified to become a firefighter
Sally Kipyego - 34 years old, from Eugene, Ore. Qualifying Race: 2019 BMW Berlin Marathon
2012 Olympic Silver Medalist, 10,000m
2011 IAAF World Championships Silver Medalist, 10,000m
Married to Kevin Chelimo, also a runner, and they have a 2-year-old daughter, Emma
Runner-up, 2016 TCS New York City Marathon
Favorite running memory is winning her first NCAA cross country title, in 2006
The race is set to kick off at 12 noon on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, on NBC and 11Alive.
The qualifying process
Men who were deemed eligible for the team trials were required to finish a qualifying marathon between Sept. 1, 2017, and Jan. 19, 2020, with a time of 2:19:00 or lower, or a half-marathon between Sept. 1, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2020, with a qualifying time of 1:04:00.
Women wishing to participate in the marathon team trials would have to have finished with a marathon time of 2:45:00 or lower or a half-marathon time of 1:13:00 or lower during the same qualifying timeframe window.
In addition, the overall champions of the 2018 and 2019 USATF Running Circuit, along with the top six finishers from the 2019 USATF Marathon Championships are considered as having met the standard necessary to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials.
The winners of the 2017 and 2018 USATF Marathon Championships, individual medal winners from the 2017 and 2019 IAAF World Championships Marathons and all members of the 2016 US Olympic Marathon Team were each given automatic qualification status for this year's US Olympic Marathon Team Trials.
For those qualifying for the team trials by way of race time, the qualifying race must be made on a USATF certified course or in an event sanctioned by USA Track & Field or a member federation of the International Association of Athletics Foundations (IAAF).
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