Houston will host the men’s and women’s 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the first time a city has staged both races, a USA Track and Field official announced Monday.
The Houston Marathon Committee outbid the prestigious Boston and New York marathons, which were the sites of the 2008 women’s and men’s trials, respectively. The organization’s board voted unanimously to award both races to Houston, said USATF chairman Doug Logan at a news conference at City Hall.
The races will be held Jan. 14, 2012, the day before the annual Houston marathon, on a closed, multiple-lap course along Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive. The top three finishers in each event will represent the United States at the London 2012 Olympic Games in August.
Houston hosted the women’s trials in 1992, which became memorable when Cathy O’Brien stopped just past the 15-mile mark to help rival Janis Klecker get to her feet after a fall. Both women made the team: Klecker finished first and O’Brien was second, only 14 seconds behind her.
