The show will go on in NYC.

The show will go on this Sunday in New York City. Some hate it, some love it. I fall somewhere closer to the latter. Many are disappointed that their travel has been disrupted. That's tough. I've been flying in and out of LaGuardia every Monday and Thursday for the past seven months and know first hand how best laid plans can go awry. My 3:30-turned-11:30 departure last Thursday seems pretty small in comparison to the desolation that Sandy has inflicted on the biggest and best city in America. I also know how good it felt to run this great race in 2009.

While being the financial capital of the world, New York is also the most resilient city in the world. Many have been displaced, but the city will come together and recover. As much as I feel for those that are in dire straits right now, I'm happy that the race will be run. The New York City Marathon is as good as it gets. Mary Wittenberg and the New York Road Runners will do everything in their power to put on the best race they possibly can for those all over the world on this first Sunday in November.

Whatever your opinion, set your DVR and/or watch the marathon this Sunday at 9am eastern on ESPN. (A program called "Marathon Morning Across America: 2012 ING New York City Marathon" will air at 7am on ESPN 3). The better the ratings, the more likely it will be that more major running events are carried by ESPN. And I think we can all agree that this would be a good thing!

writing about running predictions:

Men
1. Moses Mosop
2. Martin Lel
3. Wilson Kipsang
Darkhorse: Meb Keflezighi
Next American: Jason Hartmann

Women
1. Bizunesh Deba
2. Kim Smith
3. Tatyana Arkhipova
Darkhorse: Edna Kiplagat
Top Americans: Amy Hastings & Molly Pritz

Prep for Sunday with two great podcasts:

House of Run - Jason and Kevin are joined by Jesse Squire and Dan Rubenstein

The Trailer - The guys are joined by Lauren Fleshman

...and the always excellent LetsRun.com Men's and Women's preview


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Talking Trials Final Report: Tarmoh-geddon, A Tale of Two Fourths and that Men's 1500

Jeneba Tarmoh hugs Allyson Felix after the 200
(all photos: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

What a week (and a half)! The 2012 Olympic Track and Field Trials have now come and gone and were filled with highs for some and lows for others, but an overabundance of excitement for all; on and off the track. Here are my final thoughts in eleventh and final edition of "Talking Trials." Full results for the trials are here.

Tarmoh-geddon
When I woke up this morning, I heard ESPN's Mike and Mike (and again at lunch on the Jim Rome Show) discussing the Jeneba Tarmoh forfeit to Allyson Felix, and how could someone give up the once-in-every-four-years opportunity to be an Olympian. I'm not quite sure, but I respect Ato Boldon and his explanation that Tarmoh was just too exhausted physically and mentally to go through with it. Seems plausible, but I'll always think there is something else there. As I mentioned on Twitter last night, I believe Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated's final article on the topic is where we should leave it. And then I watched Tarmoh's interview on SportsCenter. Mind boggling. Watch that race again.

A Tale of Two Fourths
Aside from my coverage here at writing about running, I covered local athletes for the Charlotte Observer, the Greensboro News & Record and the Raleigh News & Observer at the trials. Two of those athletes finished in the first spot that you don't want to finish at the trials, fourth.

Calesio Newman starts his run
towards the 200 final

For Greensboro's Calesio Newman, fourth was a huge jump in his career. He had failed to make the 100 meter final earlier in the week and would bounce back and look excellent through the rounds. When the 200 meter final came, he looked great. He would have a tough road ahead, starting out of lane eight, with eventual champion, Wallace Spearmon and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Shawn Crawford, starting in lanes six and seven, respectively, using him as a personal rabbit. He would run the race of his life. That race would prove to be a mere .01 seconds off of his first Olympic team. He was the slowest out of the blocks and looked over about 10 meters too early at the finish. A tough day, but no one expected him to compete for the spot, so he had something to smile about. Read my final piece in the Greensboro News & Record on him here and watch part of my interview with him here. Watch the Men's 200 meter final here. 

For former Charlottean and NC State standout Julia Lucas, fourth was a bit tougher. In the Women's 5000 meter final Monday night, Lucase mad a strong move with three laps to go and looked to have the win in the bag. That changed with a lap to go. She slowed and would be passed by Julie Culley and American Record Holder, Molly Huddle, with 200 meters to go. It looked like she would hang onto the third and final Olympic spot. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case, as a hard charging Kim Conley would nip her at the line by .04 seconds. Despite the tough loss, Lucas answered questions for over ten minutes and faced her disappointment head on. It was incredible to watch and I take my hat off to anyone with that kind of toughness that makes a move like she did, have it backfire, and then standby it. Watch the agonizing race here.

Leo Manzano outkicks Centro down the stretch

That Men's 1500
The toughest team to make had to be the Men's 1500 meters. From the gun, it was exciting. The Jordan McNamara-Will Leer-John Mickowski plan of attack to try and get the Olympic A Standard almost worked, but they would have had to beat an excellent crowd to make the team; standard or no standard. In the end, the cream rose to the top with the year in, year out, world team lock, Leo Manzano, pushing by Matt Centrowitz in the last 50 meters to take the title and Andrew Wheating doing the same to Robby Andrews for that third final spot. It was a sea of carnage at the finish and Andrews was the face to pure exhaustion as he had to be helped off the track and then back to the warm up area. David Torrence was in second with 100 meters to go and would fade to sixth. That was just a very hard team to make. I wonder how many will drop down to the 800 or move up to the Steeplechase or the 5000 for next year's World Championships in Moscow. Watch the 1500 Final here.

Amy "Hasty" Hastings

The Eugene Scene
The town was electric for the trials. I met so many great people that it would be impossible to list them all. The people inside, outside and around the sport are some of the most interesting and introspective people I've ever met. I had the fun of meeting lots of great writers, athletes, shoe company employees and of course, the two groups that have helped every track and field fan see more of sport in real time, Flotrack and RunnerSpace. Both of these groups work relentlessly and quite frankly, I don't know how they have the energy to do it. I'm happy they do. Some highlights from talks with athletes were speaking to Lauren Fleshman and Matt Scherer late Saturday night about the sponsor game, speaking with Amy Hastings about her breakthrough and of course, hanging with my old friend Steve Edwards and the 3 Non Joggers, while his wife, Shalane Flanagan, ran the 10,000. 

I truly hope that the trials come back to Eugene, as it was easy to navigate everywhere and was very reasonable financially. Not to mention, a packed house of knowledgeable track and field fans every day. I was unsure if I'd understand all of the field events, but Kevin Sully of the House of Run podcast, educated me on them and I thoroughly enjoyed the nuances the exciting atomosphere that the fans loved. I fully expect this team to well in London and can't wait to watch them try.

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Talking Trials: A barefoot 4:30 mile in rolled up jeans

Nike ain't got nothing on Levi's

This is the sixth installment of "Talking Trials." There will be more to come every day during the 2012 USA Olympic Track and Field Trials from Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, OR. Full results for the trials are here.

Tuesday was the first off day out here in Eugene, but Track Town was still alive. As people filed out of the dorms, my roommate Jeff Caron and I hit up the morning Flotrack run per usual. Felt great, better than I have in a while. 7:00 miles felt easy again. I've been injured for the past two years and am on the running every other day plan right now. So why not double back and run the All Comers meet "Jogger's Mile" later in the afternoon after a good one? What could go wrong?

That's right. I outkicked a 13 year old.

After yet another meal at Big Mouth Burrito on campus, we discussed and prepared for what could be a disaster. The goal for me was 5:30. I ran 5:02 on the road and 5:03 indoors a couple years ago before getting injured (at 31), and still hope to get back under five before I go under. But that's neither here nor there. The story of the day was Jeff's race.

The first heat was for those 4:40 and under. Jeff mentioned he thought he could run "maybe high 4:30's at best." He didn't realize what he'd be up against. Your typical bunch of skinny dudes hit the starting lines with two outliers. One was a guy in a full grey sweatsuit and the other was a guy wearing a green cotton shirt, rolled up jeans and no shoes. Is this for real? No, it's Oregon. Weird stuff goes down. As my friend Steve Edwards (aka Mr. Flanagan) said, "Portland is not like Raleigh. I saw a woman taking her paper mache pig for a walk last week, then a guy riding a unicycle, covered in mud."

The truth would soon come out. Contenders or pretenders? Sweatsuit guy, joker. Got lapped. In the mile. Barefoot and in jeans guy? Legit. He had a few strides on Jeff going into the final 400. Luckily, Mr. Caron went to the well and beat the hipster by a stride in a very nice 4:30. Video proof, you ask? Yes, right here.

My heat was the 5:15-5:30 heat and of course some clown won it in 4:40 something. How did I do? Straight 81's baby. 5:24, 6 seconds under prediction. Not bad after a steady diet of beer and burritos all week and a good run earlier that morning. One day, my body will function correctly and I'll run fast again, in a hobby jogging sense of course.

By now, you know where we would venture off to later in the evening. The good ole Wild Duck. Awesome beer selection, awesome crowd full of track dorks and athletes. As Maggie Infeld mentioned in an articled today, this is "an alternate reality." Holding court would be the funniest guy on the oval, Khadevis Robinson and the one and only Amy "Hasty" Hastings. She's as cool as you've imagined.

One more off day and then it's back to the track.

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Talking Trials: Wet 10,000's lead Day One at Hayward Field

Ritz was pumped up after making his third Olympics
(taken with instagram)

This is the third installment of "Talking Trials." There will be more to come every day during the 2012 USA Olympic Track and Field Trials from Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, OR. Full results for the trials are here.

After getting off the plane Thursday night at 11pm Pacific and rolling into Eugene at 1am, I was pretty wiped out. That didn't keep me from the 9am Brooks/Flotrack 6 miler that included all of Pre's Trail. The day only got better from there. The rain though, got heavier and heavier. The Men's 10,000 had a cross country feel to it that made it all the more exciting.

The day at Hayward kicked with a roar. Ashton Eaton ran a Decathlon World Record of 10.21 in the 100 meters and then followed it up with a Decathlon World Record in the Long Jump (27'). He'd end the day 17 points ahead of schedule on the American Record, and he did it in the rain.

The prelims in the Women's 100 and 100 Hurdles and Men's and Women's 400 and 800 went pretty much to prediction, with a few outliers. Tavaris Tate hitting the track with 150 meters to go was pretty ugly, but not as bad a watching Latavia Thomas trip, hit the ground, and then get kicked in the head in the 800 prelims. That one looked like it hurt. Erica Moore also failed to qualify for Saturdays semifinal.

But as writing about running is an American Distance Running blog, the 10,000's were the highlights for me. When the guys started, it was absolutely pouring. The track was covered in puddles and there seemed to be no end in sight to the rain. Right from the gun, Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenhein took it out. Ritz needed the Olympic A Standard, so weather be damned, it was going down! Oregon's Luke Puskedra took the lead for a while and when it looked like he would blow up, he soldiered on, and would later rally and finish 8th overall in a 17 second PR of 27:56.62, concluding an excellent career in the Oregon Ducks uniform.

Over the last mile, Rupp, Ritz and Matt Tegenkamp would breakaway from the field and would take the podium, with Rupp winning in an Olympic Trials Record of 27:25.33. He looked great doing it and has to be considered in medal contention in his signature event in London. Teg motored home eight seconds later for the Silver; but no one was more elated than Ritz. After finishing fourth in the Marathon Trials, he looked like a broken man. Today, he looked like a kid on Christmas. This would be his third consecutive Olympic Team. Raleigh's Bobby Mack would finish a strong 9th in 27:58.07.

Shalane Flanagan leads the pack

When the Women's 10,000 started, the rain slowed. This is when it got fun to be a fan. I met Steve Edwards when I was at Carolina. This was before he met his now wife, Shalane Flanagan. He is a sometimes guest on one of my favorite podcasts, "3 Non Joggers," and is as down to earth and fun as they get. He invited the guys up from Portland to come watch Shalane compete and I was lucky enough to tag along for the ride. According to Edwards, Shalane had run 104 miles already this week. She still looked great the whole way.

It was fun watching Steve watch Shalane, but an even more exciting byproduct of this was watching Kiel Uhl cheer on his wife Lisa. Flanagan and Uhl train together and emotion was pouring out. At one point, (Lisa) Uhl had to stop and re-tie her shoe. She fell 100 yards behind the pack, but would recover to finish fourth, qualifying for her first Olympics, as she was one of only three women to have the Olympic A Standard (sans Flanagan, as she will run the marathon). Despite Flanagan and Uhl's success, Texas A&M's Natosha Rogers was the story of the day. Rogers fell to the track early in the race and rallied late to finish second, between eventual winner, Amy Hastings, and Flanagan. Her personal best time of 31:59.21 would be just over 14 seconds off the Olympic A Standard.

After the competition, I finished my piece on local runners competing, for the Greensboro News & Record, and then hit the dorms before heading out for Saucony night at the Wild Duck Cafe. The place was packed and looks to be the "after hours" spot for the trials. One of the people in attendance was a very excited Matt Tegenkamp, who would qualify for his second Olympics. Now the question is, will he double back in the 5000? or is his work complete? Will he run the 5000 and help teammates Andrew Bumbalough and Lopez Lomong? We'll find out soon as the trials march on!

More photos from Day One at Hayward:

Galen Rupp greets the fans after his 10,000 win

The crowd at the Wild Duck Cafe

Coach Bill Bowerman welcomes fans to Track Town

Brooks/Flotrack run with the legend, Derek Rubis, and Spiked Up, Psyched Up's Kevin Liao

If there's anything specific you want to see, email me!

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Road to Houston: Meb and Shalane triumph, while Abdi surprises in Olympic Trials Marathon

I had to fly to Houston to watch the live stream

It was an exciting morning in Houston. The weather was excellent and the runners rolled. The Men took off at a furious pace and the early pack consisted of Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Abdi Abdirahman, Mo Trafeh and former steepler, Brian Olinger. Bit by bit, the Men began to fade off the back, eventually leaving Meb, Hall, Ritz and Abdi to fight for the three spots. Ritz was the first to drop, and was down 35 seconds to Abdi with about a 5k to go. This is when Abdi began to fade and Ritz began to pick it up. As Ritz rounded the last turn, it looked as though he just may catch him. In the end, Meb triumphed (in 2:09:08), with Ryan Hall finishing a strong second (in 9:09:30), Abdi rounding out the podium (in 2:09:47) and Ritz being the first alternate (in 2:09:55). Brett Gotcher ran a strong fifth in 2:11:06. Click here for full Men's results.

On the Women's side, they took it out very, very easy (6:13 first mile) and slowly paired it down. Like the Men's race, in the late stages, it was a pack of four. This pack consisted of Flanagan, Davila, Goucher and Amy Hastings. Hastings was the first to drop, and just as you thought she was done, she put the hammer down and took the lead just before going into the last lap (18.2 miles in). Eventually, the move wore her out and Davila showed her strength. Flanagan hung with her and Goucher stayed a few steps back. Flanagan pulled away over the last 5k and won in 2:25:37, with Davila just a bit back (in 2:25:55) and Goucher just behind her (in 2:26:06). Hastings finished fourth (in 2:27:17) with Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (in 2:29:45) rounding out the top five (Women's full results are here).

More to come later...

Click here for my "fan video" of Meb rounding the last turn with Hall just behind.

Click here for my "fan video" of Shalane rounding the last turn, with Desi and Kara following thereafter.

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Road to Houston: Watch out for the Wild Cards

Who will be this year's Brian Sell?

As we are only a few days away now, you've probably heard plenty about Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein and Meb Keflezighi on the Men's side and Shalane Flanagan, Desi Davila and Kara Goucher on the Women's side. All this is for good reason. They are the favorites. They deserve your respect. They have nice contracts. They'll be ok, even if the trials don't go as planned. On paper, they should be the top three on each side. But as we all know, the marathon is a an animal. It's a wild animal at that. You can have the best training block of your life and then have a bad race day. You can also go through a rough block and find magic in a bottle. That's what this group of competitors will be trying to find on their "Road to Houston." Everyone likes the underdog, and here's a few to root for (in alphabetical order).

Wild Men
Ryan Bak

Nike

Did Bak just get a deal with Nike after his strong performance at CIM? Maybe so. His 2:14 this close to the trials certainly shows promise. Will it be enough of a launchpad to give him the confidence to challenge for a spot? From his recent interviews, it certainly looks as such. Will be interesting to see what he's got in the tank after racing a month ago.

Fernando Cabada
Unattached (Translation: If he can make the team, he'll get paid)
Cabada has been on it for years and seems to be rounding into top form at the right time. Judging by some of his recent workouts, he's primed to rip one. He's seasoned, has a 2:12 PR, an American Record (at 25k) and a National Championship in the Marathon ('08) to his name. Beware the "Cabadass."

Hartmann would love
a Chicago repeat

Jason Hartmann
Nike

Hartmann has proved that he can run well on flat courses and in the heat. His finish as the top American at Chicago in 2010 should give him confidence that he can run something similar (in similar weather) in Houston Saturday. Hartmann was 10th at the 2007 trials and will be looking to put everything on the line as he gets later into his career. Will the 2:11 kind of performance he ran at Chicago be enought to make the London team? It may be a stretch, but he's certainly got the credentials to give it a run (pun intended).

Jason Lehmkuhle
Saucony
Lehmkuhle has put together a group of nice runs over the past few years and will be primed for a spot this year. People may forget that Lehmkuhle was 5th at the 2007 Trials (for the 2008 Olympics). Don't expect him to go out and push the pace, but expect him to finish very strong. This tactic worked very well for Brian Sell in '07 and it wouldn't surprise me if Lehmkuhle developed a similar race plan. (And be sure to check out the very cool "Marathon Road" video about Lehmkuhle and Team USA Minnesota by clicking here)

Mike Morgan
Hanson-Brooks Distance Project
If you've seen any of Flotrack's "Made in Detroit" series, you can see this guy is fit. He's run on the international stage before and looks primed to make a run at it. The Hansons are always in the mix, and between Morgan and Luke Humphrey, one of these guys is going to be up there in the top seven making a run for the podium.

Cherobon-Bawcom would love to
 break the tape Saturday

Wild Women
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom
Atlanta Track Club (Translation: Like Cabada, a top three finish would likely gain a shoe deal)
Cherobon-Bawcom may be the biggest wild card in the field, as no one really knows what she is capable of. She came on strong late in the year to win the USA Running Circuit title and then started Marathon training with the one and only Jack Daniels. It wouldn't surprise me if she finished second, but it also wouldn't surprise me if she finished tenth. We'll see what she's got in the tank Saturday.

Amy Hastings

Brooks

Hastings had an incredible debut, running 2:27 in LA, in the rain (last year). Training in Mammoth certainly suits Marathon training, and 5k training, considering her excellent 2011 outdoor season. With the 5000 at the track trials being her backup plan, I'm sure she'd like to go ahead and punch her ticket to London on Saturday. 

Deena Kastor

Asics

It's hard to think that anyone would consider the American Record Holder at the Marathon a wild card, but that's exactly where she falls. She ran great at the NYC Half, but hasn't done much else in the past few years. That may be exactly how she wants it. She is a former Olympic Medalist, so she's got the mental capacity to will herself to something great. It will be exciting to see if that Deena shows up Saturday. Let's hope so!

Molly Pritz
Asics
It looks as though Ms. Pritz has gotten a new sponsor over the past few weeks, but don't expect her new contract to make her any less of a bulldog on the roads of Houston this weekend. Pritz's first 'thon was NYC and she ran well, but faded a bit, like many do, over the last 5 miles. Expect her confidence to carry her towards the top group Saturday. She's one of the younger competitors of the group, so we could be getting an early look at one of the favorites in 2016.

Rhines would be happy with this outcome

Jen Rhines

Adidas
Rhines is the ageless wonder and continues to perform, year in and year old. Only this June, at the USATF Track Championships, she beat Davila in the 5000 and 10,000, so she'll come in with confidence. The fact that she trains in Mammoth with Hastings and Kastor doesn't hurt at all either. Her experience will come in handy amongst an excellent field.

We're only a few days away! Bookmark the "Road to Houston" Recap page for continued coverage leading up to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

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Road to Houston: An early look at the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials contenders

On Sunday, I covered the early contenders for the Men's race. Today, we'll look to the Women's Contenders for the "Road to Houston." These are what I think are the top ten contenders, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone like Jen Rhines showed up big on race day and made the squad. Another darkhorse is the always tough, Tera Moody, who came out of nowhere to finish fifth at the 2008 trials. But that's the beauty of it, someone will show up race day and make a run at it that we didn't expect!

Shalane Flanagan. So hot right now.

1. Shalane Flanagan
Resume: 2nd at NYC Marathon (2:28:40 in 2010). Bronze at 2011 World Cross. Top Half mark (68:36 at Philly 2010). American Record Holder at 10,000 (30:34.39 in 2009). Bronze Medalist at Olympic 10,000 (2008 in Beijing).
Why she'll make the team: Flanagan appears to be in peak shape and has made a strong commitment to the marathon with her coach, Jerry Schumacher. Davila will be the only one that could take the US title from her at Houston.
Why she may not: The only way Flanagan doesn't make this team is if she goes out very hard and bonks. This won't be likely as she'll likely have a race plan that involves negative splitting.

2. Desi Davila
Resume: 2nd at Boston in 2011 with top mark in the marathon (2:22:38). PR'd over 5,000 (15:08) and 10,000 (31:37) on the track in the 2011 season.
Why she'll make the team: Her gutsy performance at Boston, followed by huge PR's during the track season show Desi is ready to roll. Expect her to challenge for the win, with little chance she'll fall out of the top three.
Why she may not: Davila's fitness appears to be at a higher level than ever and it would take an injury or a mistimed move to keep her off the London squad.

Davila waited patiently in Boston

3. Kara Goucher
Resume: 2nd best mark in the half (1:09:11 at NYC in 2011). 2nd at 2011 US Championships at 10,000 (31:16). 3rd at Boston Marathon (2009). Bronze Medalist at 2007 World Championships at 10,000.
Why she'll make the team: A seasoned veteran and a bulldog of a racer, Goucher will throw every effort at qualifying for this team and has proven, when needed, to rise to the occasion.
Why she may not: Since giving birth to her son, Colt, Goucher has faced the injury bug. While she appears to be rounding into fitness, her 1:12:59 at Miami Beach shows she's no shoe in.

4. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom
Resume: 2011 USA Running Circuit Champion. Has run 1:11 in the half four times.
Why she'll make the team: Cherobon-Bawcom has been excellent as of late, winning the USA Running Circuit in impressive fashion and winning the 2011 BAA Half Marathon.
Why she may not: She's yet to run a great marathon. Can she keep up with the big three? It will take a big effort to make the team, but something that she's capable of.

5. Amy Hastings
Resume: 2nd at 2011 LA Marathon in her debut (2:27:03). Ran a PR of 15:14 at 5000 this summer.
Why she'll make the team: Hastings 2:27 was run in her debut. After that, she improved her track times. She has the speed to hang with the best. Also, trains with Deena and Angela Bizzarri in Mammoth.
Why she may not: She only has one marathon under her belt and is more of a track specialist. She'll have to have another great race, with some luck, to make the team.

The 2008 team of Magda, Deena and Blake will contend

6. Magdalena Lewy Boulet
Resume: 2008 Olympian, 2:26:22 at Rotterdam (2010) and 2:28:44 at Chicago (2010). PR'd at 10,000 at 2011 USA Championships (31:48.6).
Why she'll make the team: Magda's two marathons at 2:28 and under (during the qualifying period) show great consistency. If she can run in that range, she'll have a shot. Also, being a former Olympian, she knows how to get on the podium.
Why she may not: The field is deep, and Magda will have to beat Flanagan, Davila or Goucher, which will require a strong effort.

7. Deena Kastor
Resume: American Record Holder for the marathon (2:19:36 at London, 2006). Bronze Medalist at 2004 Olympics (Athens). American Record Holder in the Half Marathon (67:34 at Berlin, 2006). 2008 Olympian.
Why she'll make the team: Deena is the veteran of the bunch and has been here before. If she's fit, she's a threat.
Why she may may not: Deena ran 69:43 for the half twice in 2010, but hasn't run a decent marathon in a few years, so she'll be a big wild card on 1/14/12.

8. Stephanie Rothstein
Resume: 3rd at Houston 2010 in 2:29:35.
Why she'll make the team: Has run well on the Houston course and is capable of the time needed to make the team.
Why she may not: Rothstein doesn't have the resume that the others here do, so will have to run strong and unintimidated for a shot at the podium.

9. Blake Russell
Resume: 2008 Olympian. 3rd at 2011 USATF 10k Road Championships (54:44).
Why she'll make the team: Russell's been there before and is a strong cross country runner as well, showing the strength she'll need to fight for a spot.
Why she may not: Has run 1:11 in the half during the qualifying period, but hasn't run a qualifying marathon. Will take an A+ effort against this tough field.

Pritz will look to build on NYC success

10. Molly Pritz
Resume: 2:31:52 at NYC (2011). 1st at 2011 USATF 25k Road Championship (1:25:38). 1:11:05 half at New Orleans (2011).
Why she'll make the team: Pritz is coming off a strong debut on the tough NYC course. Has run some races that show she has the talent to compete for a podium spot.
Why she may not: Like Meb, Pritz only has two months to recover, and being that she's recovering from her first marathon, it will take a strong effort, and a quick turnaround, to make the top three.

Stay tuned for continued coverage leading up to the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012.

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Daily Daegu: Jenny Simpson digs for Gold!

Goldeneye! (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Who woulda thunk it? Jenny B. Simpson ran a near perfect race to take the Gold Medal in the Women's 1500 at the 2011 IAAF World Track and Field Championships today and has never looked better. Unlike the semi, she bode her time, worked her way through the pack smoothly, and slowly changed gears starting around 250 to go. Only 250 before that, she navigated her way through the massive pileup that claimed Morgan Uceny's chances at the podium. For as much as I have wanted Jenny B to go back to the Steeple, I couldn't be happier. When you have a Gold Medal, you can do what you want!

In the night session, Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp looked great in the 5000 semis. Both should make some noise in the final, with Lagat being one of the favorites, with England's Mo Farah. All three Americans looked great in the Women's 800 prelims and advanced automatically to the semis as well.

In the 1500 semis, Matt Centrowitz ran perfectly to win the first heat, without exerting too much energy. He didn't get off the inside rail for much of the race and stuck when necessary. He has had an incredible year so far, winning NCAA's, USA's and now truly being in contention for a medal in the finals. He'll have his hands full with Asbel Kiprop, Silas Kiplagat, Nick Willis and others, but many strong contenders were bounced, including Leo Manzano, who looked to have pulled something with about 50 to go.

The Men's Steeple went almost to plan with Ezekiel Kimboi winning and dancing it out, leaving teammate Brimin Kipruto the Silver and France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad the Bronze (over countryman Bob Tahri). After this, Broughton High alum, Jesse Williams struck Gold in the High Jump and Lashinda Demus got equal Gold in the 400 Hurdles.

Day 7 is a little light on distance events, but does have the Alice Schmidt, Maggie Vessey and Alysia Montano in the Women's 800 semis at 6:25am Eastern Friday morning, as well as the Women's 5000 Final at 7:25am. Amy Hastings and Lauren Fleshman will take aim at a strong field with high hopes!

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Daily Daegu: Jenny B fights in the 1500, but should she come back to the Steeple?

Simpson threw down multiple moves to
make the final (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Day 4 was the last busy day before the Day 5 off day (save the Women's 20k Race Walk). The action got started early with the Women's 5000 semi-finals. Amy Hastings ran strong enough out of Heat 1 to get a time qualifier, while Lauren Fleshman left nothing to chance by throwing down a major move with 250 to go to secure a big enough cushion to coast into the finals with an auto qualfier. Hard to believe she was just 8th at USA's. American Record holder, Molly Huddle, wasn't so lucky as she put up a good fight, but her injury and subsequent loss of training ultimately kept her out of the final. She'll be back next year.

The Men's 1500 heats were almost as exciting with Daniel Komen taking a huge lead in heat 1 to secure his entry to the semis, while U of O's Matt Centrowitz securing the final automatic qualifier in that heat. The second heat brought some drama as Frenchman, Mehdi Baala, tripped and went down with 100 to go. The French are protesting, but as of now, he hasn't been passed to the semis. Andrew Wheating's year full of injury ended in this heat, as he just didn't have a kick left. Like Huddle, he'll be ready to dance next year. Amine Laalou won heat 3 with Leo Manzano getting in off time and former Florida State Seminole, Irishman Ciaran O'Lionaird, channelling the power of the mullet and bursting into the final automatic qualifying slot of the heat. What a few months O'Lionaird has had. Going from a poor showing at NCAA's, to an excellent 6 second PR of 3:34 in the 1500, signing a professional contract with Nike and making the World semis in an event that may not even be his best.

Lauren Fleshman, riding dirty (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

The Women's 1500 semis were competitive as multiple time American Champ, Shannon Rowbury, came in next to last, while Morgan Uceny cruised in second, securing an auto-qualifier. Jenny B. Simpson had to fight like crazy, but had that one last move when it counted, to bolt into the lead and finish a comfortable second, making the final.

The Men's 800 went pretty much to plan with David Rudisha toying with the field and Yuriy Borzakovskiy nearly stealing the Silver from Abubaker Kaki with his well honed tactics. Nick Symmonds gave it quite a ride, but didn't have enough left down the home stretch to sneak onto the podium. His 5th place finish isn't what he wanted, but certainly a solid showing and more fuel for the London fire that he'll begin building this fall.

The Women's Steeplechase was fast with Russia's Yuliya Zaripova taking the win in 9:07.03 and Tunisa's Habiba Ghribi taking the silver in 9:11.97. What you probably didn't realize is Jenny B. Simpson's 9:12.50 in the 2009 World Championships would have netted her the bronze today. Unless she comes in top 5 in the 1500, she should give serious thought into returning to the Steeple for London. Her protege, Colorado's Emma Coburn, had a tough race, but finished a strong season as the NCAA Champion, USA Champion and a finals qualifier at Worlds. Not too shabby! (Also, Anna Peirce's 9:22 PR would have been good enough for 5th and she's not at Worlds).

Finally, the Men's 400 went from being possibly LaShawn Merritt's return to glory, to the youth gone wild show, with Grenada's Kirani James sneaking past Merritt in the final meters (a la Mo Farah in the 10,000) to take the Gold. The only tougher loss for Merritt would be one where the IOC outlaws him form competing in London next year. We'll know the answer to that by the end of September.

With Day 5 being a quiet day, I'll preview Day 6 tomorrow!

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Diamond Dash: Will Angela Bizzarri's ticket get punched to Daegu on Day 2?

Can Hastings carry Bizzarri's flag?

Angela Bizzarri has been in this position before. This is the second time she's qualified for a worlds team without having hit the A Standard. In 2009, she tried to get the standard, but was out of steam after a strong NCAA season (and a 5000 meter title). This year, her teammate Amy Hastings, has been trying to duck under the 15:14.00 A Standard so that Bizzarri can get in with the B. Hastings has come very close running 15:15 twice and will take one more crack at it in London tomorrow. She'll have the help of another teammate, ageless Jen Rhines, who could be helping as a personal rabbit, as she's already qualified for Daegu in the 10,000. Best of luck to Hastings and Rhines, that's true teamwork! Here's the finishing order from the USA Championships in June.  Also in the field is a re-surging Lauren Fleshman, as well as Boston Marathon runner-up, Desi Davila. Full startlist for the 5000 is here.

Also on Saturday is an American filled Women's 3000 meter Steeplechase. National Champion Emma Coburn leads the Americans with 2010 NCAA champ Bridget Franek and new Nike signee, Lindsay Allen, competing as well. Coburn and Franek will be preparing for Daegu against a strong field.

Former Tar Heel, Erin Donohue, will be leading many Americans in the Women's 1500. Donohue will likely be targeting the 2012 Olympic Standard of 4:06.00 (full 2012 London A & B Standards listed below), as her seasonal best is 4:07.04. The statesiders that will be joining her (and seeking the 2012 A) are Daegu-bound Shannon Rowbury, Treniere Moser and Gabrielle Anderson. Also in the field is the local favorites, Lisa Dobriskey and former FSU star Hannah England (as well as a host of others).

Finally, the Emsley Carr Mile will feature a slew of Americans, with Bernard Lagat, Leo Manzano, Lopez Lomong and Russell Brown competing, as well as former Wisconsin Badgers (and now New Balance runners) Craig Miller and Jack Bolas (from Chapel Hill, NC) setting the pace. They'll have their hands full with local favorite Andy Baddeley, new British star James Shane, Australia's Ryan Gregson, Kenya's Augustine Choge and a host of others giving chase. Here's the link to the full Emsley Carr Mile field.

The event will once again be broadcast on Universal Sports and full meet info can be found here.

Here are the 2012 London Olympic A & B standards:

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