ST. LOUIS CROSSES FINISH LINE FIRST IN RACE TO LAND 2004 U.S. OLYMPIC WOMEN’S MARATHON TRIALS

ST. LOUIS — Nov. 29, 2001 — On a late summer afternoon in 1904, 32 runners gathered on the track at Washington University’s Francis Field. There — at the corner of Big Bend and Forsyth boulevards — was the Olympic Marathon starting line, and the starting point for a legacy that will be rekindled in 2004. A century after hosting the first Olympics on American soil and the first marathon west of the Mississippi River, St. Louis will again welcome the nation’s greatest distance runners and be a gateway to Olympic glory.

At its annual meeting today in Mobile, Ala., USA Track & Field officially awarded St. Louis the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Women’s Marathon. St. Louis beat out New York, Washington, and Birmingham, Ala., for the event. As part of its selection, St. Louis will also host the USA Women’s Marathon Championship in 2003. The St. Louis Sports Commission, Spirit of St. Louis Marathon, and St. Louis 2004 partnered on the successful bid. The 2004 Trials will be a cornerstone to the region’s yearlong civic celebration highlighting revitalization accomplishments and marking the centennial of the 1904 Olympics and World’s Fair, and bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

"In 2004, St. Louis will host a series of community-wide events that showcase our recent revitalization initiatives and mark our rich history and promising future," said former U.S. Senator Jack Danforth, chairman of St. Louis 2004. "It is with great pride and enthusiasm that the Women’s Marathon Trials will be among the highlights of a spectacular year in St. Louis. The Trials will create a wonderful excitement in our region. And in return, we look forward to providing the event a one-of-a-kind experience that only St. Louis can offer in 2004."

Sports Commission President Frank Viverito said, "This is a tremendously special day for all of us in St. Louis. Our region is very proud of its rich history and there is perhaps no better event that connects 2004 with 1904 than the Olympic Marathon Trials. We genuinely tried to impress upon the Long Distance Running Committee how much the Marathon Trials will mean to our community. In no other city but St. Louis will the 2004 Trials carry as much significance or historical relevance."

That relevance will very much be evident with respect to the location of the Marathon Trials course. Organizers will stage the race in Forest Park — site of the 1904 World’s Fair. The course itself will be a "criterium" course, meaning runners will make approximately four repeated loops through the park. The criterium alternative provides for a "flat" course that is conducive to fast performances.

As part of its winning bid, St. Louis offered $250,000 in prize money plus expenses for athletes who achieve the Olympic Trials "A" qualifying standard of 2:39:59. Athletes who qualify with a time faster than 2:48:00 may compete in the race but are not "funded." The window for athletes to achieve qualifying times is Nov. 4, 2001 (at the New York City Marathon) and Jan. 1, 2002 through early March. In the past, the field for the Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials has consisted of approximately 200 runners.

"Competition for hosting the Olympic Trials was intense," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "St. Louis put together an attractive bid package that incorporated all the elements that our athletes have said are important to them: prize money, a fast and fair course and their own race. All of us at USA Track & Field are looking forward to coming to St. Louis in 2003 and 2004 for a great event."

The 2003 USA Women’s Marathon Championship will be conducted within the St. Louis Marathon. In 2004, the Trials are required to be a separate race. But local organizers envision running the Trials and St. Louis Marathon on the same day with runners from the St. Louis Marathon finishing on the Olympic Trials course in Forest Park. Organizers also hope the presence of the Championship in 2003 and the Trials in 2004 can double participation in the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend. Nearly 3,300 people took part in the 2001 marathon and its affiliated events.

"Organizing the Olympic Trials along with our people’s marathon will be a fabulous event for St. Louis," said Nancy Lieberman, president of the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend. "The 2004 Trials can serve as a springboard as we look to attract more runners to our own St. Louis Marathon and elevate its profile both locally and nationally. For all of us involved in our local marathon — including the St. Louis Track Club and our thousands of volunteers, it is a great honor to have the Marathon Trials coming to St. Louis. We’re eager to contribute our resources to create a wonderful and memorable experience for all the athletes and make the overall event a terrific success."

The St. Louis Local Organizing Committee is also intent on developing ideas and activities that will fuel spectator interest and generate community-wide involvement in the Trials. Many of the events affiliated with the St. Louis Marathon — such as the Children’s Read & Run Marathon, 5K race, Health and Fitness Expo and Children’s Fun Runs — will be incorporated into the Marathon Trials weekend. Additionally, local organizers have discussed the idea of retracing the 1904 Olympic Marathon course as part of a commemorative run that would include 32 sets of runners representing the 32 athletes that ran in the race.

With the 2004 Women’s Marathon Trials coming to St. Louis, the region adds another high-profile entry to its resume of Olympic-style events. The list begins with the Third Olympiad in 1904 and St. Louis’ distinction as being one of only three American cities to host the Summer Games. Since then, St. Louis has launched the National Senior Games and the State Games of America. In 1994, the region hosted the U.S. Olympic Festival. The Olympic Torch Relay came through St. Louis in 1996 and will return in 2002. And in 1998, the Sports Commission and SIU-Edwardsville worked with USATF to produce the U.S. Open — Track and Field’s Farewell to JJK.

"As an organization that cherishes St. Louis’ Olympic past and hopes to see that legacy grow, and is eager to see our own St. Louis Marathon flourish, it’s very gratifying to the Sports Commission to play a role in bringing the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials to our community," Viverito said. "We look forward to once again working with our friends at USA Track & Field."

Just as the Marathon Trials become part of St. Louis’ Olympic tradition, the Trials also join an impressive lineup of sporting events that will be part of St. Louis’ civic celebration in 2004. That year, the region hosts the NCAA Wrestling Championships March 18-20; the NCAA Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional March 25-28; and golf’s U.S. Senior Open July 29 — Aug. 1.

The Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials will take place April 4, 2004. In 2003, the USA Women’s Marathon Championship is also scheduled for April, but an exact date is still to be determined. The St. Louis Marathon — which took place in October — will not host a race in 2002 so that it can move to a spring date and coincide with the Championship and Trials in 2003 and 2004.