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Tag: marathon running

  • St. Louis Selected to Host 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

    St. Louis Selected to Host 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

    The road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will begin in St. Louis, which has been chosen to host the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials for both men and women on March 25, 2028.

    Announced by USA Track & Field on Thursday, St. Louis earned the hosting rights over Phoenix and will stage the first Olympic selection event for any American sport ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

    The marathon trials will determine the first six athletes to qualify for Team USA, with the top three men and top three women securing places on the Olympic roster. The event will also be broadcast nationally by NBC.

    Organizers revealed that the race will begin at Francis Olympic Field, the historic venue used during the 1904 Olympics. The course will then wind through downtown St. Louis before finishing inside Energizer Park, home of Major League Soccer’s St. Louis City SC. The complete 26.2-mile course is expected to be unveiled in the coming months.

    St. Louis has a strong Olympic heritage, having hosted the 1904 Olympic Games and the 2004 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials. More recently, the city hosted the figure skating trials that helped determine the U.S. team for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

    The announcement comes amid a surge in running participation and record-breaking performances worldwide. Advances in footwear technology, training methods, and sports nutrition have contributed to faster marathon times across the sport.

    Reflecting that trend, USA Track & Field lowered the men’s qualifying standard for the 2028 trials from 2:18:00 to 2:16:00, while the women’s standard remains unchanged at 2:37:00. Despite the tougher benchmark, organizers expect a similar number of participants to previous trials. Currently, 134 men and 139 women have already qualified.

    American distance running has also seen significant progress in recent years. Conner Mantz set a new U.S. men’s marathon record in 2025 with a time of 2:04:43, breaking a 23-year-old national mark. The American women’s marathon record remains held by Emily Sisson, who established it in 2022.

    While U.S. marathon runners have become increasingly competitive, Olympic gold has remained elusive. The last American man to win Olympic marathon gold was Frank Shorter in 1972, while Joan Benoit was the last American woman to claim the title in 1984.

    The athletes who qualify in St. Louis will then focus on preparing for the Olympic marathon in Los Angeles, which is scheduled to begin at Venice Beach during the 2028 Games.

  • Ruth Chepngetich Shatters Women’s Marathon World Record at 2024 Chicago Marathon

    Ruth Chepngetich Shatters Women’s Marathon World Record at 2024 Chicago Marathon

    Kenyan marathoner Ruth Chepngetich made headlines on October 13, 2024, by breaking the women’s world record at the Chicago Marathon with an astonishing time of 2:09:56. This remarkable achievement not only secured her victory but also represented a significant milestone as she improved upon the previous record by nearly two minutes, which was set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in 2023.

    Crossing the finish line at Grant Park, Chepngetich’s triumph marks her third consecutive win at the Chicago Marathon, making her the first woman ever to achieve this feat. The 30-year-old athlete displayed remarkable endurance and speed, leading the race from the halfway point, where she reached 1:04:16—an impressive pace that ranks among the fastest half-marathon times in history.

    In a poignant moment, Chepngetich dedicated her world record to her late compatriot Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically passed away in a car accident earlier this year. Kiptum had previously set the men’s world record at the Chicago Marathon in 2023, running a blistering time of 2:00:35. “The world record has come back to Kenya, and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum,” Chepngetich stated, highlighting her emotional connection to her victory.

    The race also served as a tribute to Kiptum, with runners observing a moment of silence at the start line. Additionally, participants wore stickers displaying Kiptum’s record-breaking time on their bibs as a tribute to his legacy.

    On the men’s side, fellow Kenyan John Korir claimed victory, finishing in 2:02:44, the second-fastest time ever recorded at the Chicago Marathon. Korir, inspired by Kiptum’s memory, pushed through a conservative start to outpace his competitors in the final stretch, leading a strong showing for Kenyan athletes, who took four of the top five positions in the race.

    Both Chepngetich and Korir’s performances underscored Kenya’s dominance in long-distance running and left an indelible mark on the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

    Source: Aljazeera