The Women's Start
The Women's Start
I am doing this post for two reasons: one to show those that think I just care about the men's running scene that they are wrong and secondly, to continue to make HTH, the one place you can get your news and information. So without further ado.....a report on the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials.
The women's race was supposed to be the marquee event due to the ever-present hype machine that seems to make its presence known in every sphere. It was sold to the running public as this epic battle between the old guard versus the new guard and each side had its representing members. It was also suppose to be a race where record after record was set. Some of the hype did occur, but for the most part, the race unfolded just like one who watches running would assume for it to. What I mean by this is that the race played out the way most major marathons play out. If you don't understand what that means, that's okay. It is very easy. The runner's start. The leaders leave the main pack behind at around mile 3 or 4. The lead pack usually has around 10 members in it and that is the story till mile 16-20. Then the real leaders pick up the pace and drop the people who are really just hanging onto hope alone. Then those who are dropped become the chase pack with the long shot of catching up and the real leaders try to pick each other off by a continuous picking up of the pace. The race usually comes down to a lead group of 3 which will wait till the last .2 in order to make any really moves. And the winner usually pulls away for the win in the last 100 meters. And this is almost the same scenario that the Trials race followed with a few tweaks here and there.
The women's field at mile 3.
The women's race began at 8:15 CST. The race started and the whole of the women's field formed a mass of runners that pretty much stayed together through mile 3. At mile 3, it splintered into a lead pack and a chase pack. This was the case till around mile 8. At mile 8, a third pack emerged and the chase pack further splintered into a long line. At mile 9, the lead pack consisted of Amy Hastings, Desiree Davila, Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, Serena Burla, and Deena Kastor. This lead pack stayed this way till mile 13 where Kastor and Burla were dropped. At mile 16 Hastings was dropped only to regain the lead of whole race in the next mile. She was later dropped for good at mile 19. Then there were three....Davila, Flanagan, and Goucher. At mile 21, Flanagan and Davila dropped Goucher for the rest of the race. And miles 22-25 turned into an epic battle of wills from the top two female distance runners in America. Neither would go away and neither would yield to the other. It was simply amazing. During mile final feet of mile 25, Flanagan dropped Davila for the rest of the race distance, but only by about 30 feet. And it would stay this way til Flanagan broke the finish line tape for the win.
The lead pack at around mile 18.
Flanagan getting ready to drop Davila.
The top 3 and America's Olympic Marathon team for London 2012.
The top ten women's results: (The rest can be found at letsrun.com)
1. Shalane Flanagan 30 Oregon TC Elite 2:25:38
2. Desiree Davila 28 Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:25:55 +0:173. Kara Goucher 33 Oregon TC Elite 2:26:06 +0:28
4. Amy Hastings 27 unattached 2:27:17 +1:39
5. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom 33 Atlanta Track Club 2:29:45 +4:07
6. Deena Kastor 38 unattached 2:30:40 +5:02
7. Clara Grandt 24 RIADHA 2:30:46 +5:08
8. Alissa McKaig 25 ZAP Fitness Reebok 2:31:56 +6:18
9. Dot McMahan 35 Hansons-Brooks Distance Project 2:32:16 +6:38
10. Magdalena Lewy Boulet 38 unattached 2:33:42 +8:04
As I stated in the Men's Race Recap, this race was a wonderful race. Each of the runners, especially the top 20, ran the race of their lives. Many of the women didn't make the Olympic team, but ran races that would have won most of the 200+ marathons that are held in America every year. Shalane Flanagan, Desiree, and Kara Goucher have all run very well against the runners from other countries (that should be read as...runners from East Africa) and I look forward to seeing how they do in London. I see no reason why all three of them shouldn't come close to either winning or at least medaling.
Happy Racing and USA! USA! USA! USA!
David
No comments:
Post a Comment