Update. We have written an article about it. The post below is inaccurate as Rojo thought you could only replace one runner as it said "a runner" but World Athletics has told us you can replace all 3.
The World Athletics council passed some administrative things this week and a key thing was in regards to the Olympic marathon in 2024. They said they are looking for 65 people in the marathon for 2024 in each gender. In 2020, they had too many marathoners so it's pretty clear they are going to stiffen up the standard a lot (they'd like 50% to come from world rankings) but that hasn't been revealed yet.
But they are going to honor world rankings so if people don't have the standard (which hasn't been announced) they can get in that way which is good,
And there is some good news that there will be one discretionary spot - but that man or woman has run under 2:11:30 or 2:29:30.
The Council also approved a quota reallocation option in the marathon only. Any national Olympic committee may choose to reallocate a quota place to an unqualified athlete, provided the athlete has achieved at least a 2:11:30 (men) or 2:29:30 (women) eligibility performance within the qualification window.
The bad news is the World Athletics Council won't let the US just send whatever three we want. I just do not understand why they do not let countries - if they are going to send 3 - send whatever three they want (within reason, it's got to be a legitimate runner, not the son of a banker).
Right now, looking at the men, the 65th ranked marathoner in the world if you cap it at 3 per country (Yes, I know you probably won't go down quite to 65 as there presumably will be some with the standard who aren't ranked in top 65) is Jamsran Olonbayar of Mongoalia who has run 2:11:02. The 66th ranked marathoner is former Syracuse runner Iliass Aouani has run 62:32/2:08:32.
The following Americans would are ranked above Olonbayar if you cap it at 3 per country:
Galen Rupp, Elkaneh Kibet, Scott Fauble, Frank Lara, Nico Montanez, Colin Mickow, Colin Bennie and Ben True. True is actually tied at #65 and has run 62:10/2:12:53.
For the women, the 65th ranked marathoner Kyungsun Choi of Korea who has run 2:30.42 in her ranking window but has a 2:29:06 pb. The following Americans are all ranked above her: Molly Seidel, Keira D'Amato, Sara Hall, Nell Rojas, Annie Frisbie, Dakotah Lindwurm, Stephanie Bruce, Carrie Verdon, Maegan Krifchin, Lindsey Flanagan, Sarah Pagano,