Bad news at marathon trials
Only one U.S. runner qualifies for Sydney
BY DICK PATRICK
USA Today
PITTSBURGH -- Rod DeHaven crossed the finish line Sunday at the U.S. Olympic men's marathon trials with a smile and miniature U.S. flags in his hands. But there were no joyous gestures, no arm pumping or embracing of teammates who will be joining him in Sydney. For the second time this year, the U.S. Olympic marathon trials suffered a worst-case scenario.
As in February at the women's trials in Columbia, S.C., the men's trials produced just one entrant for Sydney. Because DeHaven, who completed the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 30 seconds, doesn't have the ``A'' qualifying standard of 2:14, the United States will send only him instead of the maximum three to the Oct. 1 race. Runner-up Peter De La Cerda (2:16:18) and third-place finisher Mark Coogan (2:17:04) didn't make the team.
``It's bittersweet,'' said DeHaven, 33. ``I feel for Peter and Mark. Normally they'd go. It would be a lot more fun if three were going.''
Runners knew before the race that the 2:14 standard was unlikely to be met. When the forecast of temperatures in the 70s was announced, a shudder rippled through the room of 99 runners.
Both trials were victimized by hot weather, hilly courses, just two runners apiece with the necessary qualifying time and a standard toughened by two minutes by the international track federation a year ago.
The race was disastrous for the two runners with the Olympic `A' standard of 2:14. David Morris, who ran 2:09:32 in October at Chicago, was 38th (2:29:26), and Joe LeMay, who ran 2:13:55 in December, finished 61st (2:36:42).
The temperature was 66 when the race began and 80 at the end, with humidity at 80 percent.
``I thought 2:15-high would win,'' DeHaven said. ``I relegated the competition to: It's a race to win. If you pretend you'll make the team by getting second or third, you're not going to go.''
In the early going, DeHaven stayed in the secondary pack, keying off Coogan and Todd Williams. By the halfway point, said DeHaven, ``I knew 2:14 was out the window.''
De La Cerda, in his second marathon, wasn't giving up on the standard. While leading at the 14-mile mark, he pushed the pace with miles of 5:00, 5:13, 4:59, 5:01 and 5:08.
``I wanted to run a guts race and go after the standard,'' he said. ``I thought I was going to pull (the win) off. Around 20 miles the fatigue started to set in.''
DeHaven, who thought he could win at mile 18, took the lead after mile 22 and fought hamstring cramps to the finish.
``My wife (Shelli) has put up with all this for all these years,'' DeHaven said. ``It's finally paid off. All this will hit me in a couple days.''