Pop into any bar in downtown Atlanta this weekend and you’ll likely come across runners debating and asking each other, “Who is your top three?” It’s a discussion that’s taken place among running junkies for years in anticipation of the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
On Saturday, more than 700 runners will compete for just six spots on the U.S. team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
World Athletics, track and field’s global governing body, has granted the trials a “gold label” status due to the premier caliber of talent in the race. This means that the top three finishers in the men’s and women’s races will be eligible to compete at the Olympics whether or not they have hit the respective Olympic qualifying times (2:11:30 for the men and 2:29:30 for the women).