There are plenty of interesting story lines for today's U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, which begin at 10 a.m. PST in Los Angeles.
There a number of runners with past or present local connections with realistic shots at gaining berths on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team.
Among them are Galen Rupp (Nike Oregon Project), Shalane Flanagan (Bowerman Track Club), Amy Cragg (Bowerman Track Club), Luke Puskedra (Nike, based in Eugene), Craig Leon (Team Run Eugene), Dathan Ritzenhein (formerly of the Oregon Project) and Kara Goucher (formerly of both the Oregon Project and the Bowerman Track Club).
Here are some excellent preview stories for today's trials:
-- Scott Reid of the Orange County Register writes about Rupp's decision to run in the marathon trials, and says it has raised eyebrows among insiders for any number of reasons.