Being in Atlanta for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials today was incredible. I had so many “Omg!!!! Squeee!!!!” moments, jumping up and down moments, and crying moments, from all the excitement and emotions running through me. I’m so glad we decided to come and would love to go again in four years!
Steven, me, xaarlin, and L
The course had an eight-mile loop the athletes ran three times, so we went to that and were able to see the athletes six times total from standing in the same spot just north of downtown.
I was excited when the men came by, but when the women first came by twenty minutes later I was ecstatic! Squeeeee! All my idols (except Shalane of course)!!!!
The women’s field was much bigger than the men’s and went on forever!
The men and women were mostly grouped together the first time we saw them, except for two men running out front, and some pregnant women in the very back (that teared me up!).
The women stayed in big pack until the final loop, when Aliphine and Molly went to the front, with Sally right behind them. Xaarlin and I wore the hats Aliphine crocheted us all weekend and kept hoping we’d run in to her!
Aliphine and Molly
Sally
Laura, Kellyn, Des
There were some men way out in the front on the first two loops and I totally thought they’d crash (they did). Galen had a huge lead on the last loop, and was the eventual winner, by a lot!
Galen
It might not be obvious (ha) but I was mostly there for the elite ladies and loved seeing them in person, SO CLOSE!, and cheering their names! We yelled their names as much as we could. I learned I am bad at cheering and trying to take photos at the same time.
After most of the elite women went by our spot on the third loop we walked back downtown in time to get to a bar and see Aliphine win on TV!!! I was over the moon that she won! We love her!
I was really hoping Kellyn would place too, but there was just such a talented field. I need to learn more about Molly Seidel, who placed second here, in her FIRST EVER MARATHON WHOA.
Quite a few elite women (Sara Hall, Molly Huddle, Em Sisson) dropped out. Em said her plan B is to try to place at the track and field trials in June. I wonder if Sara and Molly will try that as well. I hope they get to, and I hope we have a summer Olympics this year! I may never get to attend the actual Olympics (LA 2028?), but after how exciting today was, I’d love to!
How exciting that you got to be there to spectate! It sounds like it was a real thrill to experience it live. Hopefully Corona doesn’t ruin the Olympics for all the athletes who have been working so hard the past four years.
It really was! I’m so grateful we could go.
Right? Fingers crossed. 🙁
It sounds so cool to be there and see the race in person!
It was amazing! Being so close to all those elite woman three times?! OMGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I am still pumped. Ha.
So cool you got to be there in person!!! I watched online but the coverage was a bit lacking. They didn’t show when the pack broke up and Aliphine and Molly broke apart from the pack! Ugh! I love hearing your firsthand info! I first started watching the coverage on my phone and my son was watching with me and kept saying one of the two guys in the front at the beginning was going to win. haha. He’s 5. I told him I was pretty sure that was NOT going to happen and that I thought they just wanted to be on TV. 🙂
Have you listened to the Running on Om podcast episode with Molly Seidel? It was from a couple weeks ago and I started it on my run yesterday. It’s really good. She talks a lot about mental health.
I remember watching in 2016 and yelling at the TV “What is going on with the women?!” There is only so much you can deduct from the leaderboard on the app!
Ha! That is funny your son thought that. I was explaining to Steven there is no way those guys were gonna hold on for that long by themselves in the front. I was shocked to see those men ahead for so long.
I haven’t! Thanks for the rec, I will add it!
Man, this is so freaking cool. How amazing to see SO many amazing runners so many times! It would be so overwhelming!
I cannot believe Molly Seidel came in second place. Can you IMAGINE?! Your first marathon EVER and you qualify for the Olympics?! I mean, I know that happened with Galen Rupp in 2016, but he was way more known in the running world than Molly Seidel was before this past weekend. So amazing!
It was so cool and overwhelming, especially when the men were on one side and the women were on the other! I was all “where do I look?!” Who do I cheer on?! (usually the women since I knew all them)
I know, that was so freaking cool!!! Molly is way under the radar. I am excited to learn more about her.
What a cool experience! I’m so glad you got to attend and geek out about all the elite runners. 🙂
Yes! The chance to get to see all these ladies together like this only happens every four years and I am so happy I could be there. Wish I could go to the track and field trials in Eugene, OR in June 🙂