Posted: October 28, 2005

Athletics: Austin Marathon Adds Olympic Development Program

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Austin Marathon Foundation announced yesterday that the Freescale Austin Marathon will incorporate an Olympic development program into next year's race, scheduled for Sunday, February 19.

The program is essentially designed to encourage men and women to run Austin, which has a fast downhill course, as their way to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon (the location and date of that race has not been announced).

U.S. men who have run sub-2:30 and U.S. women who have run sub-3:00 in the last three years qualify for the program. The race will assist them in identifying support for travel and lodging, offer a special hospitality program, special transport to the start, a separate warm-up area and bathrooms, a priority starting corral, and pacing groups for the USATF "A" and "B" qualifying standards for the Trials: Men, 2:20/2:22; Women, 2:39/2:47.

Elite athlete coodinator, Greg McMillan, will be managing the program and can be reached at greg@freescaleaustinmarathon.com or 1-877-478-4265 (toll free).