Beware, Marathon Men: The Track Stars are Coming!
Famiglietti and Asmerom serve notice with strong showings in USA 8K Championships
New York, March 18, 2007—Even before lining up Sunday for the weather-delayed USA 8K Championships here today, Abdi Abdirahman was concerned about the abundance of talent on tap for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's Marathon that will cover the same terrain in Central Park on November 3.
"There will be 15 or 16 guys at the Trials who could make the Olympic team," he said.
With his 2:08:56 showing in Chicago last October, Abdirahman is absolutely one of those 15 or 16—and he knows it. But given the harsh reality of U.S.'s Olympic selection system—the top three Trials finishers make the team, the rest go home—that's just not good enough. And Abdirahman knows that, too.
An Arizona resident nicknamed "the Black Cactus," Abdirahman may want to revise his list of contenders after the performances of a pair of track stars in today's race made his bid for an Olympic berth an even thornier proposition. After grabbing the lead at halfway, Abdirahman was overtaken by New Yorker Anthony Famiglietti, 28, the eventual winner in 22:35. Abdirahman, 30, placed second in 22:41, seven seconds ahead of Bolota Asmerom, 28.
Neither Famiglietti nor Asmerom has run a marathon. However, both have met the "B" standard to qualify for the Trials, and it's a distinct possibility that both will challenge experienced marathon men like Abdirahman.
"They scare me, to be honest," Abdirahman said after the USA 8K. "All it takes is for one of them or two of them to do well at the Trials and they could knock you out."
"He should be scared of us," Asmerom said with a wide grin.
At the ING New York City Marathon 2006, Asmerom ran the first 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) to gain experience. He called it, "one of the best experiences I've ever had. I felt good. I couldn't even feel my feet after a while. I was just moving."
This spring Asmerom will run his first 10K. Come November 3 he'll almost certainly run his first marathon, and the 28-year-old Oakland, Calif. resident vows not to be intimidated.
"There's a myth that there are long-distance runners and middle-distance runners and you should stick to one or the other," he said. "But a lot of coaches will tell you that's not the case. When you think about it, it's all about the VO2 max. Whoever has the highest VO2 max and works that potential to the max is going to win. Look at Haile Gebrselassie. He's run 2:05, and he's not a marathoner technically. He's come from the track and run those times." (Gebrselassie, of Ethiopia, a two-time Olympics 10,000-meter gold medalist, holds a marathon PR of 2:05:56.)
Famiglietti, who calls Central Park his home course, is excited by his potential at longer distances. A 2004 Olympian in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, he set personal records in the 10K and other middle-distance races last year.
"I don't think you can put a limit on Anthony's ability in any event," said Patrick Gildea, a Long Island native who was Famiglietti's teammate at the University of Tennessee. "He's so talented. Whether he'd run a 2:10 or 2:11 at the Trials you can't say because he might run 2:08 or 2:09."
Or faster. Famiglietti said Jack Daniels, his coach at the High Altitude Training Center in Flagstaff, AZ, has analyzed his performances and projected he is capable of running a 2:07 marathon.
"Sixteen weeks is all I really need before I jump into a marathon and see what I could do," Famiglietti said. "Before I ran the 10K [at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational] last year, I trained more like a middle-distance runner and did more quality runs instead of quantity runs. If I stick to that plan and just bump up the quantity and the quality, it should translate well.
"I don't think I have to run a marathon before the Trials, but at the same time it would be good to run one to get a feel so I would understand what it feels like to run a marathon."
Although the distance would be unfamiliar, the Trials course wouldn't be. Famiglietti, who lives on the Upper East Side, seems to know every hill, nook, and cranny of Central Park, which could influence his decision.
"It's not only running the course, but being comfortable on the course and knowing your environment," he said. "I love being in New York, and I love running in New York. And having my fiancée [Karen Underwood] here with me 24/7 contributes to good performances because I'm more relaxed and confident."
Famiglietti said he'll decide by June. If he sticks to the track, he'll compete in Europe this summer. If he enters the Trials, he'll devote the 16 weeks prior to the race to training. And he'll add another thrilling storyline to an event that already has the makings of a classic.
"If I do run the marathon I'd like to run fast," he said, "so I'd love for Abdi to come out at his best like he did today and make it a hard, honest race because to me it's not always about winning. It's about giving your best performance. Today, I was fortunate to have both. If it comes out this same way in the marathon, I'll be really happy."
For more about USA Men’s 8K Championships story, click here.
Of the 50 athletes who competed in the USA Men's 8K Championships in Central Park on March 18, about half will return to New York for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials -- Men's Marathon on November 3, 2007. That race will select the U.S. men's marathon team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Click here to view race photos.
