DeHaven wins U.S. Olympic marathon trials

By BERT ROSENTHAL
PITTSBURGH (May 7, 2000 12:23 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Rod DeHaven, who ran his previous marathon in heat and humidity, overcame similar conditions Sunday and won the U.S. Olympic marathon trials. He will be the only American representative in the event at Sydney.
The temperature was at 61 degrees and the humidity at 84 percent at the start of the 26-mile, 385-yard race, and both got higher as the race progressed, making for stifling conditions for such a long, grueling event over a tough, hilly course.
DeHaven, the 10th-place finisher in the 10,000 meters at the 1996 trials, was timed in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 30 seconds.
Since DeHaven failed to meet the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:14:00, he will be the only U.S. Olympic men's marathon team member.
Two others in the field - David Morris, the American record-holder, and Joe LeMay, winner of the California International Marathon in December - had met the Olympic qualifying standard prior to the trials. But under the games' qualifying rules, only DeHaven can go to Australia.
This was similar to the women's marathon trials at Columbia, S.C., in February, when only one American - first-place finisher Christine Clark - made the team because she also ran over the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:33:00.
DeHaven bided his time through the first half of the race, before overtaking Peter De La Cerda between miles 22 and 23.
De La Cerda hung on for second at 2:16:18, and 1996 Olympian Mark Coogan was third at 2:17:04 from the original field of 99.
DeHaven's last marathon was at the World Championships at Seville, Spain, last year. He finished 24th at 2:19:06 in brutally hot conditions.