December 3, 2012

2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Standards and 1980-2012 History

The USATF Annual Meeting took place in Florida over the weekend, and while they haven't issued an official press release yet, the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying standards and window were determined:

Men      A = 2:15    B = 2:18, 1:05 (HM)
Women A = 2:37    B = 2:43, 1:15 (HM)

The qualifying window will run from August 1, 2013 until 30 days before the Olympic Trials (date and location yet to be determined - it will be sometime between Fall 2015 and Spring 2016).

This is pretty much what we expected - that USATF would adopt the Olympic "A" and "B" standards. For the men, it doesn't get that much tougher - although now if you run a 2:15:XX marathon, that is only worthy of the "B" and you are paying your own way to the big dance. On the women's side, things have been tightened up quite a bit - you have to run 3 minutes faster to hit the "B".

Personally, I think the women's HM standard should be 1:16 - I feel like that is a more equivalent performance to a guy running under 1:05. I also wish that they would allow qualifying at the 2013 USA Half Marathon Champs (which fall 5 weeks before the window opens). That would generate a lot of excitement... as would setting "equivalent" times for the 20K and 25K, and allowing qualifying at the USA Championships for those distances. But then again,what do I know? :-)

Just for fun, I looked up some historical data on USATF and MarathonGuide and made this chart. Despite the fact that the standards got tougher after 2008 (mainly due to no more aided courses), there were more qualifiers in 2012. It will be very interesting to see what happens in this next Olympic cycle. The bar has been raised again - how will athletes respond?


Men
Women
Year
“A” Standard
“B” Standard
Qualifiers
“A” Standard
“B” Standard
Qualifiers
1980
2:21:54
-
225
No Women’s Marathon until 1984
1984
2:19:04
-
201
2:51:16
-
267
1988
2:20
-
136
2:50
-
246
1992
2:20
-
112
2:45
1:14
32:40
-
118
1996
2:20
2:22
135
2:42
2:40
187
2000
2:20
2:22
114
2:37
2:50
210
2004
2:20
2:22
1041
2:40
2:48
1513
2008
2:20
2:22
28:45 (10K)
13:40 (5K)
138 (Mar)2
25 (10K)
10 (5K)
2:39
2:47
33:00
171 (Mar)4
10

Downhill courses no longer eligible after 2008
2012
2:19
1:05
28:30
-
85 (Mar)
65 (HM)
10 (10K)
2:39
2:46
1:15
33:00
196 (Mar)5
24 (HM)
7 (10K)
2016
2:15
2:18
1:05

2:37
2:43
1:15



1 - 2004 Men’s Marathon qualifiers à           A = 53  B = 51
2 - 2008 Men’s Marathon qualifiers
à           A = 65  B = 73
3 - 2004 Women’s Marathon qualifiers
à     A = 25  B = 126 
4 - 2008 Women’s Marathon qualifiers
à     A = 19  B = 152
5 - 2012 Women’s Marathon qualifiers
à     A = 45  B = 151

I was only able to find the A vs B breakdown from 2004, 2008, and 2012.

In terms of how this affects my own running plans, I'll do what I originally planned for the first half of 2013 - run an early spring marathon, then shift my focus to the Half Marathon Championships in June. Then I'll have to decide whether to start chasing the 1/2 standard or run in the 2013 USA Marathon Championships (which will be hosted by Twin Cities in October).

10 comments:

  1. I was going to post on this as well and I'm in agreement that they should open up the window at the US Half Championships in June. It'd be a great stress reliever if you hit the time, so you could focus on a fall marathon. I would have much rather seen 2:15A, 2:20B, but I'm a bit biased!

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    1. I think it would be a cool "kickoff" to the OTQ window. I'd love to get it done and then I could run TCM w/out worrying about time. Ah well - we got a few years to get this job done.

      For the record, 2:20B would have been really nice... but there's no doubt that we can both go under 2:18 if we get it right.

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  2. Andrea, thanks for the congrats. I am just slowly working on this running thing, trying to whittle down my times and enjoy the journey. It always pains me when I can't push it until the end, but I think more experience will help. How's the body holding up? Hope you are getting to get some more running in. If not, maybe it will snow some time this winter and you can get on your skis. With an open schedule the next few weeks, I might try to find some of the white stuff. Jake, the new standards still make me a little sick, but you and Andrea have four years to PUMP it up!

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    1. You still have a ton of untapped potential...I'm looking forward to seeing your progress! It's really impressive how far you've come since that stress fracture earlier in the year.

      I'm definitely hoping for a good snow year...we've been talking about a Jackson Hole trip (Jake has never skied there).

      Injury still sucks. I'm currently in elliptical-land - better than no cross training but obviously not as good as running. Hoping I'm on the upswing - I have a new doctor that better heal me b/c I need to start training for the ridiculous new standards!

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    2. Haha. Ridiculous standards indeed! Boy, do I know elliptical-land. Trying to keep coming up with 'interesting' workouts, pyramid, alternating, it is a tough world, but you are definitely a fighter as shown through the last 6 months.

      Jackson Hole is great except paying an arm and a leg to ski. I have yet to ski in Utah so that might be mandatory this season.

      Going to start a speed segment once I am recovered since I have never spent time on these energy systems having started running late in the game, so we will see what these legs got. My fingers are crossed that this doctor has got the magic, because the roads are waiting for you!

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  3. wow the standards are getting faster!
    Do you have any fast/fun marathons you recommend?
    ~healthy healing vibes to Andrea!! it would be so awesome to read about you two standing at the starting line @ Trials in 2016!!!

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    1. Well, you already know that CIM is a great course (when its not raining buckets!). That will be one we'll definitely be at. Chicago is fast too, especially when lots of people are trying to qualify for the trials.

      I'll probably focus on the 1/2 and try to hit the Sub 65 - lots more nice, flat, fast courses out there!

      You'll have a lot of fun in Boston. Its a great race and unreal atmosphere.

      Grandma's is up there w/ the best races I've gone to. Relatively fast courses, great community support for the events. That's one I'd highly recommend.

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  4. Pretty exciting stuff! If the world runs faster, we gotta run faster!

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  5. B Standards don't make sense to me, 45 guys / gals is enough. What is the point in having someone that will finish 20 min behind the winning in the trials; most of the field in the women's race in 2012 had zero chance to qualify.

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    1. I think the Olympic Trials Marathon is about more than simply selecting the 3 men/women who will run on the team. Its about the overall development of the sport, providing a goal for athletes to chase and ultimately see how good they can be. I understand your point of view, but I really think a lot of good runners would leave the sport (or simply wouldn't work as hard) if that "B" carrot wasn't dangling out there.

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