Track and Field News: First US Olympic Marathon Trials Athletes Celebrate It’s 40 Year Milestone

As the current year’s Olympic Marathon Trials ended in February 2024, just a few months before the Paris Olympics, fresh news for the former track and field marathon runners came by. A jubilant reunion on the Olympic trials stomping grounds dating back to the maiden voyage 40 years ago will be held, amid great pomp and circumstance, highlighting the accomplishments of the history-making women athletes.

“Brave trailblazers”, as the post on social media lately quotes, were the ones “who ran the streets and trails long before the world embraced the sport at record levels of today.” To be held between May 16 to May 19, the Trials Legacy Committee plans to include weekend festivities too in the Governor’s Mansion, in its intention. The venue is slated to be in Olympia, Washington on the 19th of May. It plans to celebrate and conclude with the Annual Capital City Marathon races. Let us know about the itinerary of the meeting scheduled.

Track and Field News hearken us back to the 1984 Marathon Trials in style

The Fast Women’s official page on X recently updated the news for US Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifiers who have been associated with the same for the past 40 years. Revisiting the year 1984 Trials, a locally based 1984 Trials Committee urges its former qualifiers to reunite this year. Scheduled in May this year, the committee is looking forward to have every historic runner to join in the festivities and rink in the energy of the place. Till now, more than 50 out of the 267 qualifiers have planned to attend the meet.

Some prominent names in the US women’s Olympic Marathon Trials who’ve gone on to accomplish laurels are Joan Benoit who is an Olympic gold medalist, an OMT runner-up Julie Brown, Jacqueline Hansen who is a former record holder in marathon, the ‘flying nun’ named Sister Marion Irvine, and Sally Edwards who currently is the ‘Fleet Feet’ running store founder. Producing a “ripple effect” till today, the 1984 US Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, track and field athletes such as Joanie and Deena Kastor, from the 1984 Trials till now have had a lasting impact, encouraging and inspiring woman athletes to strive for their luck in the sport. Cut to now, what’s been the indelible effect left?

This year’s Marathon Trails Qualifiers promulgates the 1984 essence

This year’s US Olympic Marathon Trials were held in Orlando, Florida, where the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics were determined, with each stride making a significant impact towards the behemoth games. While the top three placing track and field athletes grabbed their Olympic spot, other woman athletes also etched their names into the qualifying runners list.

Read More: US Marathon Trials: 40-Year-Old US Athlete Reveals the Efforts Behind the Race, Says “Went All In”

Fiona O’Keeffe was the top qualifier of the US Marathon Olympic Trials this season who recorded a 2:22:10 timestamp. While Emily Sisson and Dakotah Lindwurm recorded a time of 2:22:42 and 2:25:31, respectively, they earned their berth and made it to the Olympic team. Now it remains to be seen if this 40-year-old legacy will remain untainted or not.

Read More: Olympic Marathon Trials: Live Updates, Results, And More