LetsRun.com's Countdown to the Trials Sponsored by On

We talked to Dathan Ritzenhein about the OAC athletes' final Trials preparations and he raves about Alicia Monson's fitness, “I think she was ready to run under 14:40, actually,” before he gives his take on whether the latest Michigan teen prodigy - Hobbs Kessler - should go pro out of high school.

We get you ready for a busy weekend with compelling races all over the globe. Farah needs to hit the 27:28 Olympic standard in the 10,000 at the European 10,000m Cup in Birmingham, while McLaughlin & Simpson return to action at the Music City Track Carnival in Nashville (Sunday, 5-7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Plus Sifan Hassan headlines a stacked Hengelo meet.
*MB: Weekend preview: Jenny Simpson, Sydney M and Mo Farah return, might Sifan Hassan go for the 10k WR?

Joe Klecker comes from a running family. His mom won the 1992 Olympic Marathon Trials and his dad set the 50 mile world best. Can he continue the family tradition at the Trials?

After sifting through the weekend's results, Jonathan Gault breaks down the performances of Bowerman TC and Pete Julian's group at the Portland Track Festival, hands out his locks for the Olympic team, and is amazed by teens Erriyon Knighton and Jaylen Slade.

Joe Klecker who was the NCAA XC runner-up and his mom won the 1992 Olympic Marathon Trials and his dad was the 50 mile world record holder is our guest.

The On Athletics Club is a new team, with a new coach, and some big goals. Coach Dathan Ritzenhein thinks his team can contend for medals and that Alicia Monson can be an all-time great US distance runner.

44 days from today the Trials kick off in Eugene, Oregon and 95 days from today the Olympics will come to an end. If you’re looking for an up and coming group to root for, we’ve got you covered, as On is sponsoring our countdown to the Trials and Tokyo, and we’re going to be profiling some of the On athletes competing at the Trials and in Tokyo.

Athing Mu is certainly one of the athletes better-positioned to make the Olympic team in 2021 than she would have been in 2020. The opposite is true for Jenny Simpson. We run through some of the other athletes whose stock has risen -- or declined.

We give you a refresher on how one qualifies for the Olympics this year where a bigger emphasis has been put on world ranking. Want to know who is on track to make the US Trials? Check out the TrackTimes.run website.

Jonathan Gault has compiled a list of the youngest and oldest US Olympians in all track events since 2000.

MB: Is age just a number? We've compiled a list of the youngest and oldest US Olympians for all track events since 2000

Grant Holloway (13.04, +2.2 wind) and Ajee' Wilson (2:00.57 win over Natoya Goule) looked great, but Matthew Centrowitz (6th, 1:50.97) and Robby Andrews (5th, 3:46.89) struggled.

• MB: Time to panic? Centro runs 1:50.97 800!!!
• MB: Centro is... not DONE.
• MB: Centro 800m tomorrow
• MB: Michael Sanuri 3:45 1500M At Mirimar Today
• MB: Kenneth bednarek 19.65
• MB: Justin Gatlin is back and racing in florida? Is he cheating, or does the sun never set on this man's career?
• MB: Sha'Carri Richardson 10.72 WIND LEGAL

By Jonathan Gault
April 12, 2021

The 1500 meters, simply by the nature of the event, is always going to be one of the most-anticipated races at any championship meet. The race's length is right in the Goldilocks zone -- long enough for drama to build, short enough that the early laps can still matter -- and the tendency for most championship finals to be settled on the final lap creates maximum excitement. Five years ago, the women's 1500 was one of the best races of the US Olympic Trials, with Brenda Martinez edging Amanda Eccleston for the final spot by .03 after both women ran down reigning Trials champ Morgan Uceny in the home straight. The 2019 USA final in Des Moines was just as compelling, with Nikki Hiltz prevailing over Sinclaire Johnson and Kate Grace in a three-way kick for the third spot to Worlds.

With 11 weeks to go until the US Olympic Trials, LRC co-founders Robert and Weldon Johnson and LRC staff writer Jonathan Gault make their picks for who will represent Team USA in Tokyo in every distance event.