2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon

Top 30 Finishers Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to view a larger image of each photo. [Race Story] [Event Story] [The Olympians] [Race Surprises] [Olympic Trials Marathon Home]

The purpose of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon race was to choose the three-man Olympic marathon team for Beijing next summer. But for the 134 men who started the race in Central Park on November 3, the race was a chance to perform to the best of their ability on the world stage and to be a part of what was arguably the greatest gathering of talent in American men’s marathoning history. In this gallery we salute all the race finishers for pursuing their Olympic dreams here in New York City.
For the middle miles, the lead pack consisted of (left to right) Ryan Hall, Dan Browne, Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein (foreground), and Abdi Abdirahman.	Hall, 25, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, looked effortless all the way, even while running miles in the low 4:30’s. He won by over two minutes in 2:09:02, an Olympic Trials record.	In his second marathon, Ritzenhein, 24, of Eugene, OR, mastered the distance. He ran 2:11:07, a personal record by nearly three minutes, for second place and a spot on the 2008 Olympic team.	Brian Sell, 29, of Rochester Hills, MI, and the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, passed four men late in the race to secure the final Olympic qualifying spot with his 2:11:40.
American record-holder Khalid Khannouchi of Ossining, NY, overcame recent injuries to finish fourth in 2:12:34. He is the first Olympic alternate and, at 35, the oldest man among the top 65 finishers.	Jason Lehmkuhle, 30, of Minneapolis, MN, had a breakthrough race to take fifth in 2:12:54—a personal record by three and a half minutes.	Dan Browne, 32, of Portland, OR, caught the leaders in mid-race and held third until the final miles, when he had problems with cramping. He finished sixth in 2:13:23.	Unheralded newcomer Nate Jenkins, 27, of Lowell, MA, moved all the way up to seventh with his personal-best 2:14:56.
Meb Keflezighi, 32, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist from Mammoth Lakes, CA, fought hard but fell from contention with leg cramps late in the race. He finished eighth in 2:15:09.	Debut marathoner Josh Rohatinsky, 25, of Portland, OR, who qualified with a 27:55 10,000-meter time, showed great promise with his ninth-place 2:15:22.	Jason Hartmann, 26, of Eugene, OR, is a longtime friend and training partner of Dathan Ritzenhein. He ran a personal-best 2:15:27 for 10th place.	The smooth-striding Matt Gonzalez, 26, from Albuquerque, NM, was the second finisher who had qualified with a track time. He ran 2:16:14 for 11th place.
Mike Morgan, 27, of Rochester Hills, MI, was 12th in 2:16:28 and the second finisher for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project.	Fasil Bizuneh, 27, of Flagstaff, AZ, was with the early leaders and briefly took the lead. He finished in 13th place at 2:16:47.	The third man with a track-race qualifying mark was James Carney, 29, of Boulder, CO, who ended up 14th in 2:16:54.	Steve Sundell, 25, of Redwood City, CA, ran a personal-best 2:16:54 for 15th place.
Chris Raabe, 28, of Washington, DC, is yet another runner who managed to break his personal best on the tough Central Park course. He finished 16th in 2:17:01.	The third finisher for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project was Nick Arciniaga, 25, of Rochester Hills, MI. He was 17th in 2:17:08.	Clint Verran, 32, of Rochester Hills, MI (and Hansons-Brooks’ fourth man), finished 18th in 2:17:10. He was 11th in the 2000 Olympic Trials and fifth in 2004.	Matt Pelletier, 28, of Warwick, RI, ran a personal-record 2:17:17 to take 19th place.
The fifth Hansons-Brooks man was Chad Johnson, 31, of Rochester Hills, MI in 20th place. He ran 2:17:58. Thus his team took one-quarter of the top 20 spots.	Josh Ordway, 27, of Dublin, OH, was 21st in 2:18:10 and first among Ohioans.	Jacob Frey, 26, of Oakton, VA, beat three men by five seconds or less to take 22nd place in 2:18:19.	23rd overall, and the 12th man to run a personal best, was Joe Driscoll, 28, of Blowing Rock, NC, who finished in 2:18:22.
The first finisher who is in the U.S. Armed Forces was 31-year-old John Mentzer, U.S. Navy, of Monterey, CA. He was 24th in 2:18:23.	Allen Wagner, 27, of San Diego, was the fifth Californian in the race. He finished 25th in 2:18:25, his personal best.	Patrick Rizzo, 24, of Rochester Hills, MI, was 26th in a personal-best 2:18:30 and sixth among Hansons-Brooks team members.	Sergio Reyes, 26, of Los Osos (“The Bears”), CA, displays perfect form as he finishes 27th in a personal-record 2:18:31.
Patrick Moulton, 25, whose twin brother, Casey, was also in the race, finished 28th in 2:18:35. He lives in Rochester Hills, MI, and is a Hansons-Brooks team member.	Mike Sayenko, 23, of Bellevue, WA, looks pleased with his 29th-place 2:18:35, and for good reason: It was his fastest marathon, and nobody younger finished ahead of him.	Donovan Fellows, 28, of Woodbury, MN, finished 30th in 2:18:45—a personal record.