Mens 800 meters - Olympic Trials

anyone catch the Mens 800 meter final the other night? If you did not you missed a very special race, you should try to see a replay. The Track and Field Olympic trials are happening right now at Hayward Field in Oregon, a place that Steve Prefontaine and Bill Bowerman made famous. A place were 20,000 people pack a stadium that holds 16,000, and a place that gets so loud the runners say they can not hear themselves breathing.

The mens 800 finals were the other day and it was a awesome race. The heavy favorite, Symonds, was boxed in almost the whole way, University of Oregon student Wheating was in the back but was a heavy fan favorite and all the runners were giving it their all to get a spot on the US Olympic team.

Symonds found an opening on the last turn and broke to the lead and Wheating starting charging hard on the outside, while another Oregon Track Club runner, Smith was fighting gamely to stay in the raca and kick for the line.

Symonds won going away with Wheating leaving the pack slightly for second - the third and final spot on the team came down to Smith and past Olympian Robinson with both of them falling across the finish line in a heap. After sorting it all out - Smith won by 6 1/100th of a second to go the the Olympics.


3 guys who train in Oregon, 3 guys who the fans supported for 800 meters, 3 guys who go the Beijing. Awesome race, awesome drama - that is what the Trials are all about -tune and give them a try.

Happy training