A bit of history, behind the scenes, how the race was won, the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon, & some industry info.

A little bit of history...

The 1904 Olympics was held in conjunction with the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. The marathon had 24 competitors, and 14 of them finished. At the 21 mile point, the weather so was uncomfortable that trainers fed the top runners the potion of the day--a delightful combination of strychnine and raw eggs. Somehow, those runners kept it in their stomachs and finished. It should be noted that the first real finisher was in a coma for a day, but hey, such was the price of Olympic marathoning at the time.

Many of the buildings in Forest Park, which was modeled after Central Park in New York City, date from the 1904 World Exposition-the Art Museum, the Municipal Opera, the series of lakes and streams. The park is actually larger than Central Park. In my families' personal history, the 1904 World's Fair was an important event--my great grand father drove my future great grand mother to St. Louis, from Alton, and proposed to her at the Fair. On my parents wall, along with pictures of five children, grandchildren, assorted artwork from a few generations of children and their children is a green ticket from the 1904 World's Fair.

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A bit more history...

St. Louis is a city of contrasts. First the Spanish, then the French, then pioneers found the city on the river. Lewis and Clark started their journey of discovery from the city ofSt. Louis, which was the last bit of civilization before one, in the 18th century at least, left St. Louis proper. An industrial city, a city of traditions, and a city that remembers its history. A City that was at the forefront of American history- just across from the Marriot Pavilion hotel, the headquarters of the race, is the St. Louis Court House. On those steps in 1820, the Dredd Scott decision was read, which was the opening shot to the American Civil War. In the Court House is a superb exhibition on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which is celebrating its bicentennial this year as well.

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Nancy Lieberman, Race Director...

Nancy Lieberman is a marathoner, and one of the wonderful eccentrics that populate our sport. Four years ago, the St. Louis Sports Commission, as part of their planned celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the 1904 Olympics and the 1904 Worlds Fair and the two hundredth anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, asked Nancy about sponsoring the Olympic Trials marathon--and Nancy's response? Do it. To keep the story down to a few thousand words, be careful what you wish for--St. Louis would win the bid and the planning for 2004 Women's Olympic Trials was on.

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A question of sanity...

Now, anyone who has put on a race, of any size, shape, or distance knows the work involved. What type of person, or persons would agree to not only host their regular 5k, Marathon, half marathon, and also host a separate marathon on Saturday?

The Women's Olympic Trials marathon is an event within an event. The need to bus media, coaches, athletes and families from the start to the race course and finish, the need to develop a course that can be viewed by fans and friends, and the need to find sponsors, are all part of the package.

Nancy had strong help in Dave McGillivray, the race director of the Boston Marathon, whose team not only designed the course, but also managed the event. Nearly 150 marathoners qualified for the event, and 124 showed up at the starting line.

The course, as Dave has said, was designed by runners for runners. The course featues 3.65 loops of 6.88 miles where the fans could see the racers at least six to seven times on the course, or at least twice a loop. With a bit of running, you could see the runners ten to twelve times.

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How the race played out...

All media, coaches, athletes, families had to be downstairs at the Marriot Pavilion by 5.15 AM. Buses took the aforementioned crowd to the track of Washington University, which was the approximate site of the 1904 Olympic track. We arrived there, and the track was set up with a festive theme. Upbeat music (Pink) greeted the runners as they warmed up.

For six am in the morning, over two thousand hearty souls watched the start from the oval at Washington University.

The weather played a huge part in the success of the event. At the start on the campus of Washington University, on the near exact spot where the 1904 Olympic marathon started on August 3, 1904, the 124 starters were off. There were four laps on the track, and the first lap was hit at 90, with Blake Russell, a 2.30.41 debut marathon, took the lead, running the mile in 5.36.

Then the race went crazy. Blake ran a 5.05 mile second mile, and hit the 10K in 33.33. All race plans seemed to go out the door. Sylvia Mosqueda, who had run a 2.33.10 pr at the age of 37, was in second. Deena Kastor, she of the 2.21 new AR and 30.50 10k stayed back, was looking good running in third. Colleen de Reuck a new American citizen, via RSA, who had a tough time at St. Louis last year, was running conservatively. Behind her, Jen Rhines and Magdalena Lewy-Boulet were running in fifth and sixth. In the next group was Jenny Spangler the AR masters record holder and 96 Trials champ and Linda Somers Smith, the one time Olympic and two time World Championship team member was running well.

Blake had been training under the toteleage of one Bob Sevene. "Blake is the real thing," Sev told CTRN, "She trains like Joannie (aka Joan Benoit Samuelson). She likes to run from the front, and she is tough. She trains with guys on her easy days, and she likes to train by herself."

The night before the race, CTRN was told that Blake would run 1.13 to 1.14 for the first half and try to shake up the race. Blake ran to plan, in fact, she was faster than plan. Her tanned legs, long stride and black New Balance uniform led the race over the first two 6.88 mile loops.

A crowd of 8-10,000 ran around the criterium style course, which showcased some of the most beautiful parts of Forest Park, a park built for the 1904 Worlds Fair, modeled after the Central Park of New York City, except the River City is about 300 acres larger than Central Park. The runners ran by the Municipal Opera Building, the Art Museum and the History Museum.

Bikes would tell the fans of the runners arrival, then the press truck, then the motorcycle with photographer Victah Sailer, and then Blake, whose lead extended to 53 seconds at its height. Blake looked strong, running 5.40s, hitting 1.11.58 at the halfway. Sylvia Mosqueda ran by, looking strong and focused, with Deena Kastor passing her before 12 miles.

Deena had a problem of her own, a pebble had become stuck in her outsole, and was causing her some concern. " The first time I stopped, I tried to push it out of the shoe, but just broke one of my nails, " Deena told CTRN. " It was only after a second time that I stopped, realizing that the pebble would cause me trouble with half the race remaining, that I was able to pull out the pebble." In the process, Deena broke a second nail, and then moved off at a strong clip.

Deena Kastor looked strong, and cut Blake's lead from 53 seconds to ten seconds by 16 miles, and then passed her going away just after 16 miles. Following Blake was Colleen de Reuck, who had been running in fifth place, and who moved past Sylvia Mosqueda, and pushed into third place.

Blake said later, "I knew at the half that I had gone out too fast." Some of her supporters, including the NB staffers who were running across the criterium loop, were concerned if she could hold on.

Alot was going on back in the race, that the press truck could not see. CTRN situated itself along the criterium loop and could see the runners two to three times each loop. More adventurous sorts could hit four or five times each loop.

After Kaster, Russell, de Rueck, the race was not over. Sylvia Mosqueda was prowling very close, and Magdalena Lewy-Boulet and Jen Rhines were running together in fourth and fifth and most marathon geeks made their bets on those two. Magdalena's husband, 3.52 miler Ritchie Boulet, was out on the course, cheering on his wife, who looked well controlled. The shuffle style of Jen Rhines had never looked good-and there were ten miles left.

The fast pace, and the warming temperatures as well as the tough hills. Yes, St. Louis has some difficult hills on this rolling course.

It would be the pace early on and the warming temperatures that would play a huge role. An observer noted, "There were three races on Saturday, and Blake won the first race, Deena won the second race..." But, who, pray tell, would win the third race?

Deena Kastor was running well, from 16 through 22, and looked to be the winner. Colleen de Reuck, following the plan set by by husband coach, Darren de Reuck, "Run for second place, and remembered to protect third place." Translated, that means that coach Darren knew that three women make the team and that was the true race. So did coach Bob Larsen, part of the dynamic duo that coaches Team Running USA, "Deena knew that she had to protect her position, as three people make this team."

Colleen de Reuck looked stronger as the race warmed up, her arms pumping, her face focused and her stride still quite long and capable. At 22 miles, Colleen went by Blake Russell, and Colleen moved by like a sprinter. Now Colleen was in second, Deena Kastor in first and Blake, while still on the team, knew that runners were close. How close?

Sylvia Mosqueda, who had told friends that she had one goal and one goal only, to make the Olympic team. Syvlia runs like one of the most dramatic male marathoners in the world in the 1970s- Jerome Drayton. Drayton won Boston, Fukuoka, among others, but during his long career, where he beat and broke many of the best, he would also pull off the course, just before the finish on many occasions, knowing that the win was not possible.

Sylvia looked good. But so did Magdalena Lewy-Boulet and Jen Rhines. From five to 22 miles, Rhines and Lewy-Boulet ran together, and passed Mosqueda just before 23 miles. Then Jen Rhines took off, leaving Lewy-Boulet and Mosqueda in her wake.

The marathon is 26.2 miles, not 26 miles. Some wag has said that perhaps Phidippedees could have run a bit shorter, but actually, the blame goes to the Royal Family and the 1908 Olympics that the standard 26.22 distance was framed--in order that the Royal Family could see the race start from their prestige box of seats.

Colleen de Reuck, at two hours and sixteen minutes had a big surprise--she was about to pass Deena Kastor, the unanimous should be winner of the Trials. Colleen put 78 seconds in the final two miles, between Kastor and herself, winning the Olympic Trials in 2.28.25. "My focus was to make the team, that was my plan." Colleen came into the stretch, and was greeted by thousands of American flags, given out for free by the race team. Colleen did a little jump at the finish, and waving the small American flag, as she became the 2004 Womens' Olympic Trials champion.

Deena Kastor had run out of gas. She had a nice meal on the night before but a few pieces of toast did not do it during this race. It was probably due to her hard racing during the middle part of the race-she ran all out to get Blake Russell. Deena finished second, exhausted, in 2.29.38.

When a race is going not the way you want, time stands still. Consider this: It is a half mile from the end of an Olympic Trials race, and you are the hunted one, in third place. That was Blake Russells' personal nightmare. At 25.7 miles, Jen Rhines, showed that her first two marathons had been learning experiences, and pushed on, taking the third and final Olympic position in 2.29.57.

Blakes' race was not over. Like her Twin Cities debut, Blake had to stop, this time at 26 miles, to stretch, running a personal best still, in fourth in 2.30.32. "Stupid or smart, I am not sure." Blake would say.

Magdalena Lewy-Boulet ran her heart out, and finished fifth in 2.30.50. Magdelena had focused on the Trials for two years, and her race had been so good, a 48 second personal best.

In sixth, Heather Hanscom ran a six minute and six second personal best! In seventh, Sarah Wells, who had only a few weeks of training after a worrisome back injury, ran 2.33.15, a two minute, forty two second personal best from her championship win in St. Louis the year before, had some stomach distress after the race.

Deeja Youngquist was eighth, Susannah Beck was ninth, just missing her pr by ten seconds.

The Masters runners made the day even more impressive. Jenny Spangler, 96 Trials winner, finished a fine tenth overall, in 2.36.20 with Linda Somers-Smith in eleventh, in 2.27.38.

"I just do not know what to say," said a tired Colleen de Reuck, at the post race press conference. "I wanted to represent the country that is my home." And so, the immigrant gives something back to the United States, just like most of our relatives.

After the race, at the finish line, CTRN spoke with Jacqueline Hansen, the first women under 2.40, and one of the prime movers in the battle to get an Olympic marathon. Regaled in her black sport hills, with thejanes.net website, a local Santa Monica running site on her back, Jackie told CTRN, "They make me feel young, and more alive. "A thoughtful observer of the sport, both its strengths and weaknesses, and a true champion of women's running said it best. This race had been a great one.

And yes, there had been three races. Blake Russell won the first one. Deena Kastor won the second and Colleen de Reuck won the third.

And how appropriate, the Gateway to the West, St. Louis, the River city, gives the U.S. a lesson on how to put on a marathon trials, and the best team the U.S. has had since the 1984 Olympic Trials.

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On Bob Sevene, and the passion of running...

Sev is one of the most enigmatic people in our sport. Bob Sevene is not a coach, he is a painter. Allow me to explain.

A painter, whether he or she ever touches a canvas, tries to give to their students not just the way to paint, but how to feel when painting--THERE IS A NEED FOR PASSION-in life, whether in painting or in coaching.

When I first met Bob Sevene in 1987, he scared the heck out of me. A man who told you what he thought, a man who used lots of words to do it, Bob Sevene would give his athletes the shirt off his back. That is his most positive trait and his curse. Like any person who is passionate about something, Sevene gives it his all, and does not know how to do anything else. All of Sev's athletes were passionate about their game, and think of their best races, Greg Meyer at Boston, Joan Samuelson at the Olympics, or Nike OTC course, were passionate about that effort. Blake Russell is in that tradition.

It is a frailty, that most do not see. But if you listen, truly listen when Sev pontificates, you get the drift...

"I love Blake, and I hurt because she hurts. I have been here before, with Dave Gordon...Blake is the most like Joannie of any athlete I have ever had...She is like Greg Meyer, and the Boston boys, she runs hard, doesnt worry about water, sports drinks, she bust her butt and leads...it is her nature....and you have seen something today...Blake is the marathon's future..."

I do not know if I could have had the composure of Blake after the race, as she answered questions from the media on her fourth place.

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More on Dave McGillivray...

On Sunday, as the 6,000 odd finishers from the half, marathon relay and marathon were finishing in St. Louis, Dave and his group of crazy men were finishing their Sunday run. "Oh, we did 21 miles, said Dave." Mc Gillivray, the race director at Boston, gave us the quote of the weekend. "I was once ask what was my best achievement, I thought for a second and said, the next one."

McGillivray is detail oriented. He is the guy who gets photographer Victah Sailer his motorcycle so the pages of running and track magazines are full of Marathon trial photos.

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More on Nancy Lieberman...

Elissa Udell is Nancy's daughter. She is a community relatiosn manager for a professional sports team in Colorado. On Sunday, after running the half marathon in 1.52, CTRN asked her if her mother was crazy for starting a marathon in St. Louis. Elissa thought for moment, as she basked in the glow of finishing her second half marathon, "No she is not crazy for starting the marathon, but she may be crazy for doing the Olympic Trials," she opined.

We followed Nancy around the finish line on Sunday, juggling the finishline for the half marathon, marathon and relay. The weather was her third best partner in the 2004 races. Like many marathons around the country, the half marathon is the most popular event of the series of events. The downtown of the city of St. Louis has some real hills, and Tony Coffey, the coach of the Impala Racing team, after his 2.58 marathon, looked at this writer and said, "You never told me about the hills in this city."

The Olympic Trials marathon is a personal achievement. It celebrates the growth of the sport for women, the growth of fitness and chance of sport to bring people together.

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Behind the scenes...

Congrats have to go to Women's LDR chairman Elizabeth Phillips. Phillips was one of the founding duo of the Avon Race series, Xerox Race Series and the Avon International Race Series. Those events put pressure on the IOC and IAAF to move the womens distances into the world of athletics. The event in St. Louis gave the women marathoners a chance to shine, and they did.

Putting on an Olympic Trials cost mucho dollars. Anheuser Busch, one of the prominent corporate citizens in St. Louis, came to the aid of the event, or it would not have happened, that simple. The event, according to sources and past events requires an expenditure of nearly mid six figure budget to do the event right.

Kudos to the sports marketing team, at Anheuser Busch for a job well done.

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Shame on NBC...

NBC the folks with the peacock on TV, have not televised either Olympic marathon trials. The problem is this--if the marathoners want money, and criterium courses, then the word Olympic needs to be in the mix. Use the word Olympic and you deal with the USOC. Then NBC gets to pick if they want to show the event, and who can use ANY film from the event. NBC has chosen not to sell those rights, and another generation of young distance runners will not get inspired by a great marathon.

Too bad that NBC does not understand that the spirit of the Olympics, especially the modern Olympics is epitomized by the marathon and that Marathon Trials shows would be well recieved.

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A movie on the 1984 Olympic marathon...

Mary Nicole Nazzaro, one of the writers for American Track & Field and Runners World, is a film writer and director. If you read her writings, such as her piece on Curtis Frye, you read pictures, images, and lots of back ground.

Mary Nicole has done a final draft of her movie on the 1984 Women's Olympic Trials and how the race came to be. With the help of many of the pioneers of the sport, Mary Nicole worked to give the sport the true story of the race.

We hope to show it at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

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A few more details...

Martin Coles, former President of Reebok, has moved to Starbucks International as their new President.

Jay Margolis has become President of Reebok.

Todd Klein left adidas and is now at Reebok sports marketing.

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Should be a hot 10k at Stanford the end of April. Word on the street is that Meb Keflezighi, among others is training to run a good one at Stanford.

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Your thought for the next run or walk...

Final observation. Saturday night, I was sitting with Joe Rubio, a good friend and coach from Los Osos, Ca. Rubio opined, " We need a US kid winning Boston, a US kid winning New York and we will be all over the sports sections. Get me a kid who is with Hicham El Guerrouj with 300 to go, even if he is dusted, and we will have all of the coverage that we need. US kids have to stop thinking so hard, and remember how to race...Somewhere, around the world, at least one day a week, distance runners are doing a set of 200s and 300s-why are American kids only satisfied if they do six times a mile?

What do you think? Email me at stanederjr@aol.com. Now, off to my five hour drive back to Madison.

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