2024 Olympic Marathon Trials course revealed

if nothing else, looks super spectator friendly. Now I'm tempted to go down and watch...

yeah uhhh I wouldn't be too happy about this if I was racing in the trials. Poor choices by USATF

Agree, this doesn't look like a good route. Maybe it allows a lot of spectating - does orlando have a bunch of track fans....

I live 1/3rd of a mile from a portion of the 8 mile loop.

Given that logistics basically require a loop course, this is about as good as it was going to get in Orlando. Two nearly 2 miles straightaways in each loop, wide streets, some tree cover, mostly flat with a modest incline along the 2 mile straightaway in one direction, avoids the brick roads that are prevalent in downtown Orlando.

If you stand around Lake Lucerne, you should be able to see them about 10 times with very little walking.

I think they should just have them run down the Orange Blossom Trail and whoever the lucky three are that don't catch an airborne venereal disease or get shot make the team.

As someone who lived in Orlando for many years, all I can say is WTF, this is the best course they could come up with? Back and forth alongside Spessard Holland Expressway?

You guys should stop complaining. Do not question the $3.8 million dollar man.

Some of the worst temperatures, humidity and worst air quality index

USATF had the whole country to pick from but Max Siegel went for the maximum kickback.

No wonder no-one takes our sport seriously.

The milk district segment is good. Lots of bars and restaurants on that stretch. But about a third of the race is basically on a feeder road by a raised highway. The neighborhood south of downtown is beautiful, but all the streets are brick. Pretty lousy course for the runners. Fans will get three looks at the runners in most spots. Meh.

Just to add something vaguely useful, as of July 13th there are 150 men and 130 women qualified.

Will this be the first year since 1984 with more men than women? We shall see.

- WOMEN -
2024 - 130 (as of July 2023)
2020 - 512
2016 - 257
2012 - 226
2008 - 182
2004 - 151
2000 - 210
1996 - 187
1992 - 118
1988 - 246
1984 - 267

- MEN -
2024 - 150 (as of July 2023)
2020 - 260
2016 - 211
2012 - 85
2008 - 179
2004 - 104
2000 - 114
1996 - 135
1992 - 112
1988 - 136
1984 - 201
1980 - 225
1976 - 87
1972 - 100

That is quite the variance. Does USATF have a target field size? The women's standard was kind of weak for quite a while to get fields that big.

35 ~90 degree turns and 3 U-turns. Chicago has about 32 90 degree turns. Both are flat courses. So basically this is likely to be a warm/humid Chicago, and people studying race results from Chicago on warm days will be able to get a good pacing plan. (This Orlando course has three ~30 foot hills and three ~25 foot hills. I don't consider that to be very significant and will call it a flat course, probably under 300 foot elevation gain for the whole race as measured on GPS watch)

Not sure why the whining about the course. Not scenic enough?? Who cares? Not the athletes. And all us spectators want is a chance to see the runners as many times as possible, which this setup allows.

Disney is southWEST of Orlando, not southeast as reported. Having spent some time in the city, I think the course is excellent. Sara Hall is right to be concerned about the weather, but, if the trials are to select the best team to send to the Olympics it is also a good idea to mimic the conditions as best as they can. Granted, the trials course is completely flat and the Paris course is going to have a beast of a climb and then descent in the middle.