Olympic Marathon Trials Course – Course Tour From Atlanta – runnersworld.com

The best marathoners in the U.S. will descend upon Atlanta on February 29 for the Olympic Marathon Trials in hopes of capturing one of six spots—three men, three women—for the Olympics later this year.

They’ll take on a challenging, rolling course with only a few short stretches of level ground. Over the entire 26.2 miles, the route climbs for 1,389 feet and descends for 1,382. The weather is another wild card, as the average daily high in February is 57 and the average daily low is 37, but temperatures can spike—in January, the mercury hit 70 on two days. The trials races take place just after noon, the warmest part of the day.

To give runners and fans a taste of what qualifiers will face, Runner’s World editors took a trip to Atlanta to get a tour from the Atlanta Track Club. Here is what we saw:

The Start

The course passes various landmarks throughout the city, and none more iconic in Olympic history than Centennial Olympic Park, the primary location for the 1996 Games, making it a fitting place for the Trials start and finish. The hundreds of runners will quickly file out of the park, and they don’t return until the final stretch.

Before they get there, they’ll have to conquer an 8-mile loop twice and most of a third time, before diverting to tack on an additional 2.2.

The Loops (Miles 0.2 to 23.2)

Almost immediately after leaving the park, the runners will make their way onto Peachtree Street—also home to the famous Peachtree Road Race. The majority of the race will take place on Peachtree, with an out-and-back section that’s almost 5 miles on each of the three loops. For spectators, this will be a convenient spot, with plenty of room to watch runners come by six times before mile 22.

Atlanta Track Club

The first half of the out and back loop is mostly downhill, a good place for some speed. However, at miles 3.3, 11.3, and 19.3, a 180-degree turnaround sends runners right back up those hills. After that? More hills, including a nearly three-quarter mile uphill that leads into another 180-degree turn at mile 8 and the start of another loop. These hairpin turns will allow contenders to assess their competition—in the distance ahead or trailing—multiple times throughout the race.

Rich Kenah, executive director of the Atlanta Track Club, described the hills this way: “The first loop, I think the adrenaline is going to carry you through, and you’re probably not going to feel it,” he said. “The second time through, you’re probably going to say, ‘Hmm, I didn’t feel that the first time,’ and the third time, you’re going to say, ‘Wow, this is a true racer’s course.’”

The Final Miles (23.2 to 26.2)

Shortly after the 23-mile mark, the course veers from the main loop and heads toward the Georgia State Capitol building, and competitors have about a mile of mostly flat road. The route passes under the famous Atlanta Olympic cauldron tower and rings from the 1996 Games. Runners get a final 180-degree turnaround at mile 24.3 and another chance to size up the competition with two miles to go.

Before they can cross the finish line, however, they hit some of the steepest hills on the course—a tough uphill from about 24.9 to 25.5, and then a smooth downhill all the way through downtown to the big finish in Centennial Olympic Park.

The Elevation Game

Runner’s World Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate took a tour of the course and offered this assessment: “The hills aren’t really steep; they just don’t stop.” Athletes will constantly be shifting gears and it will be hard to get a consistent rhythm going.

Here is what the elevation map looks like for the course:

Atlanta Track Club

Runners who have previewed the course say it’s tough but fair and should achieve its ultimate goal: picking the strongest runners to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games in August.

Gear & News Editor Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand.