Posted: February 8, 2004

Athletics: Cool And Collected, Culpepper Wins Olympic Trials Marathon

By David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved < RaceResultsWeekly.com>

BIRMINGHAM (07-Feb) -- Undaunted by a courageous solo bid for victory by Brian Sell, Alan Culpepper ultimately prevailed in today's U.S. Olympic Teams Trials Men's Marathon here today, winning his first marathon in 2:11:42. It was the second fastest winning time in the history of the Trials which date back to 1928, and the fastest in 24 years.

"This is pretty much the top of the list," said Culpepper sizing up his victory. "I feel excited."

The 32 year-old Culpepper, who lives in Lafayette, Colo., ran today in only his second marathon. In his debut in Chicago last October he ran 2:09:41. He was the fastest qualifier entered in the race; U.S. record holder and former world record holder, Khalid Khannouchi of Ossining, N.Y., did not take part due to injuries.

"It was a weird race," Culpepper said later as he discussed Sell's run off the front which began in the seventh mile when the runner from Rochester Hills, Mich. joined Teddy Mitchell of Albuquerque, N.M. in the lead. Mitchell would soon drop back, and with a pair of 4:52 miles from miles nine through 11, Sell began to build a significant lead. Fighting the gusting winds alone, Sell, 25, passed through the halfway point in 1:06:20 with a pack of 16, including Culpepper --and two other favorites Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and Dan Browne of Portland Ore.-- trailing 45 seconds behind.

"I was worried basically the whole time," said Sell who emphasized that he was simply executing the pre-race plan set forth by his coaches, Kevin and Keith Hanson, who wanted him to run 2:12:00. "That was the plan and I tried to stick with the plan."

Sell, wearing a black watchcap which only partially obscured his chin length sideburns, looked smooth and by the 16th mile had built up a one minute and four second lead. Culpepper wasn't sure he should act: second place also meant a team berth, the primary goal of the race, and fighting the wind took a lot of energy.

"There was a moment when I got pretty concerned," said Culpepper who represented the United States at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the 10,000m. He recalled thinking, "Well, second place is right here and you did not want to mess that up."

Sell fought to keep his pace high, taking miles 18, 19 and 20 in 4:51, 5:06 and 5:05, respectively. But Culpepper, working with Keflezighi, Brown and Sell's Hansons teammate, Trent Briney --who had only qualified with a modest 2:21:10 marathon-- had picked up their pace considerably. Culpepper was doing most of the work, and did a 4:50 17th mile and a 4:46 18th mile. By the 20 mile mark, Sell's gap had fallen to 22 seconds, and his form was beginning to decay. In the 22nd mile, 1:47:54 into the race, Sell was caught.

"He ran a gutsy race," said Browne, who would begin to fight his own demons in just a few minutes.

Sell quickly went backwards, and Culpepper and Keflezighi, both looking relaxed, began to drop Browne and Briney. Browne, the 1997 U.S. 10,000m champion who had yet to make an Olympic team, began to lean forward, his form visibily worse. Briney was about 20 meters back, still within striking distance.

"That was the critical point in the race for me," said Browne, a West Point graduate who is still a captain in the Army Reserve. "I've got to be honest. I ran this race for a purpose, to make the team. I ran to honor my (fellow) West Point graduates who died in Iraq."

Fighting hard, Browne was able to hold his position, while Culpepper and Keflezighi remained side by side as they approached the downtown finish. Both men were tired.

"We both wanted to pick it up, but our legs wouldn't," said Culpepper of the final mile. "We came up the final hill, Meb put a meter on me. That spurred me."

Culpepper responded, easing by Keflezighi to take the lead for good. Making the right turn for the last 100 meters on 20th Street, Culpepper soaked up the cheers of the bone-chilled crowds, and punched his ticket to Athens with the win. Keflezighi, his training cut short by knee problems and a bout with the flu in December, glided in just five seconds behind.

"I'm just happy to get on the team," said Keflezighi, the U.S. record holder at 10,000m, adding later, "at mile 10 I got a really bad side ache."

Browne held on to finish third in 2:12:02, while Briney improved his career best time by an improbable eight minutes to finish in 2:12:35, the second-fastest time ever for fourth place in the history of the Trials.

"Since Chicago last year, my running has really taken off," said Briney who ran for unhearalded NCAA division II University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

"I think it shows the power of group training," added Keith Hanson whose team placed two men in the top-5 today. "He fought running the marathon. By the time he got to Chicago he was excited."

Culpepper and Keflezighi are also the favorites to win the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 10,000m in July in Sacramento, and could choose to run the 10,000m in Athens instead of the marathon, opening up the door for Briney or fifth place Clint Verran. Both indicated today, however, that they planned to run the marathon.

"My intentions are to run the Olympic Marathon," said Culpepper, who thought that was the event where he had the best chance for a good finish. "I've been on five national teams and always had poor results."

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