The 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials are being held in Atlanta, GA on Feb. 29, where the US Olympic Team will be selected for both the men and women to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games this August. As the top runners in the country have been preparing for these trials, ElliptiGO elliptical bicycles have been the cross-training tool of choice for many of these athletes competing. This year, nearly 100 athletes racing in the marathon trials use ElliptiGO bikes to build strength and aerobic capacity, while also helping to reduce stress on the body, and recover from injuries that come from pushing their bodies to such high levels. In addition to individuals, ElliptiGO supports top professional teams that will be represented at these trials, including hosts Atlanta Track Club, HOKA NAZ Elite, and On Zap Endurance.
Top ElliptiGO athletes to watch on the men’s side include Jared Ward. Ward was 3rd at the 2016 Marathon Trials and went on to finish 6th at the Rio Olympics. With strong 2019 showings at both Boston (8th) and New York (6th), and a recent PR of 2:09:09, Ward is a strong candidate to make his 2nd Olympic team.
In the women’s race, Sara Hall is a top threat for one of the coveted spots. Hall started integrating ElliptiGO into her training in 2012. In the last few months, she’s run a PR of 2:22:16 at the Berlin Marathon (6th fastest American in history) and another PR of 1:08:57 at the Houston Half Marathon just last month. If she shows that same strength and resilience over the Atlanta course, she’ll have a great shot at making her first Olympic team.
Other top contenders in the men’s race who integrate ElliptiGO bikes into their training include:
- Matt Llano – Ran a PR of 2:11:10 at the Berlin Marathon this past September, and celebrated by racing the ElliptiGO World Championships just a couple weeks later.
- Tim Ritchie – The 2017 US Marathon Champion has been using ElliptiGO training since 2014, and PR’d by over 4 minutes in his 2017 victory to run 2:11:55.
- Andrew Colley – Representing On ZAP Endurance, Colley ran a debut of 2:15 after training through injuries much of 2018, and followed that up with a 3 minute PR of 2:12:25 at the 2019 Grandma’s Marathon.
- Chris Derrick – Ran his PR of 2:12:50 to finish 9th at the 2017 Chicago Marathon.
- Shadrack Biwott – Ran his PR of 2:12:52 at the New York Marathon, his third consecutive top ten finish in NYC.
- Joe Stilin – Also part of the On ZAP Endurance team, Stilin ran 2:13:20 in his debut marathon at the 2018 US National Championships.
- Colin Leak – Ran his PR of 2:14:44 at the Berlin Marathon this past September and also works for one of ElliptiGO’s retail accounts, Philly Runner.
- Johnny Crain – Another representative of the On ZAP Endurance team, he ran 2:15:46 for his debut marathon at the 2017 US Championships. He also claimed victory at the latest ElliptiGO World Championships in October, defeating 7 time champion Rusty Snow.
Other top female contenders who use ElliptiGO bikes include:
- Kellyn Taylor – Representing HOKA NAZ Elite, Taylor placed 6th at the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials in LA. Ran her PR of 2:24:28 at the 2018 Grandma’s Marathon, which is currently the 9th fastest American in history.
- Aliphine Tuliamuk – Also part of HOKA NAZ Elite, she ran her PR of 2:26:50 at the 2019 Rotterdam Marathon
- Stephanie Bruce – Also representing HOKA NAZ Elite, Bruce (formerly Rothstein) has integrated ElliptiGO training since 2010, through two pregnancies within 2 years, she ran her PR of 2:27:47 at the recent 2019 Chicago Marathon.
- Lindsay Flanagan – Ran her PR of 2:28:08 at the recent 2019 Chicago Marathon
- Katy Jermann – As part of the Minnesota Distance Elite team, Jermann (formerly Moen) ran her PR of 2:31:55 at the 2019 New York Marathon.
- Maegan Krifchin – Representing the host team Atlanta Track Club, she ran her PR of 2:32:47 at the 2018 US National Championships.
- Adriana Nelson – As a co-founder of ROLL Recovery, she’s run a PR of 2:28:52. She finished 12th at the 2016 Marathon Trials in LA, and re-qualified for these Trials with a 2:33:17 after giving birth to her first child.
- Molly Seidel – These Trials will actually be her Marathon debut, but has shown great potential with her recent 1:09:34 at the Houston Half Marathon.
The ElliptiGO team will be in Atlanta over the course of the trials weekend to support its many athletes, teams, and coaches. We’ll have some fun things planned while we’re in town and you may see us riding around the city on our GOs. We would love to know if you’ll be in town for the races, so be sure to follow updates on our social media pages and look for discussions on our Facebook page.
For more information about how hundreds of professional athletes, along with high schools and colleges across the country use ElliptiGO integration in their training, be sure to visit our Athletics page.
Where to watch in person? Visit https://www.atlanta2020trials.com/course/places-to-watch for tips on where to watch.
How to watch on TV? The race will be broadcast live on NBC across the country. Broadcast will begin at 12:00 PM EST and conclude at 3:00 PM EST.
