By Kyle Merber
November 9, 2022
Was that a gust of wind or the collective sigh of relief from the American distance running community? It was finally announced that the Olympic Trials will be held on February 3rd, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. There was deserved frustration that it took until now to lock down the details of an event that will take place in less than 15 months. Especially as there had been reports a few months ago that the final contenders would be Orlando and Chattanooga — both would have been fine options in my opinion.
The mid-sized city benefits the most from the estimated infusion of $10 to $15 million in the local economy, but having a capable airport and accommodation options to match is often the challenge. Thanks to our man Walt, this isn’t a problem in Orlando.
Granted, Orlando is quite warm, even in the winter with average temperatures between 54 and 70 degrees on the expected date. But that’s still about 10 degrees cooler than Paris in August. Remember, the goal is to pick a team that will represent the United States well! Orlando isn’t a complete pancake, but it might be hard to design a loop that will replicate the 1,400+ foot elevation gain found on the Olympic course. Does anyone know how steep Space Mountain is?
Full announcement via USATF:
INDIANAPOLIS – Orlando will play host to the 2024 U. S. Olympic Team Trials — Marathon, USATF and the USOPC announced today.
Held on February 3, 2024, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon will be the selection event for the USATF Team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The top three female and male place finishers in the Olympic Trials who have met qualifying performance standards will self-select for the 2024 USATF Olympic squad.
“We look forward to a fantastic marathon on the streets of Orlando in selecting USATF’s first six 2024 Olympians,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “The competition is the culmination of months of preparation on their Journeys to Gold and we’re excited to see great competition and fast times.”
“On behalf of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, I offer congratulations to the city of Orlando for being selected to host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials – Marathon and look forward to celebrating this great event on the road to Paris 2024 with the athletes, fans, and our partners at USATF,” said USOPC CEO, Sarah Hirshland. “As the pathway for making Team USA, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials stand out as remarkable sporting events, and we have no doubt Orlando will welcome our elite runners and put on a world-class event.”
On behalf of City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Jon and Betsy Hughes and the incredible team at Track Shack, and our Chairman of the Board at the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, Sharon Line Clary, we are thrilled to be awarded the 2024 Marathon Trials which will send three men and three women to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Thank you to USATF and the USOPC for selecting Orlando”, said Jason Siegel, President and CEO, Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “As happy as we are for our regional community, we take even more pleasure in the fact that Betsy and Jon will have an opportunity to produce this event celebrating downtown Orlando on an international stage. For 45 years they have been the gold standard producing and operating running events across the United States and abroad. We are beyond confident that our leadership team, local organizing committee, and community, in partnership with USATF and the USOPC, will deliver a world-class event and world-class experience for the athletes, partners and running enthusiasts visiting the City Beautiful from around the globe.”
Orlando is the first Florida city to be awarded the event. This will mark the 15th time the men’s marathon Trials have been held, with the first at Alamosa, Colorado, in August 1968. It will be the 11th time the women’s marathon team has been selected in a Trials event. The inaugural women’s marathon Trials were held at Olympia, Washington, in May 1984.
Details regarding television and prize money will be released at a later date.
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Kyle Merber
After hanging up his spikes – but never his running shoes – Kyle pivoted to the media side of things, where he shares his enthusiasm, insights, and experiences with subscribers of The Lap Count newsletter, as well as viewers of CITIUS MAG live shows.