Finally, I have my camera back and this means I have skinnyrunnerstalking pics for you from our Olympic Marathon Trials spectating experience last weekend. For a wannabe-runner dork like me, this experience was superfreakincool ! The GCM and I were there to support our friend Ashley, and she was kind enough to give us her “Friends & Family” passes, which got us into limited access areas, like this one, where Ryan Hall was doing warm up laps:
I think this photo means I have not yet reached the level of “shameless stalker,” since I was way too much of a wimp to take a head-on pic . . . He was jogging laps of the convention center hallway with his wife and brother.
Within 30 minutes of their race start, the runners could warm up in this special corral outside, and we found an awesome viewing point just above it . . . Then the photo extravaganza began in earnest!
Ash, greeting her fans!
Eventual 3rd-place guy and Tucson local (we see him running up in our hood not infrequently), Abdi. I am continually in awe of how skinny his calves are!
Ash and her training partner, Danna—first Olympic Trials for both
Another star spotting!! Kara and Shalane (eventual #1 and #3, in case you were underground for the past week) didn’t seem to leave each other’s side pre-race—and hardly during the race, for that matter!
Okay, I have been obsessed with Shalane since I saw her abs at the ‘08 Olympics. They are ridiculous. I failed at getting a good picture of them, but I did try . . . If you look closely above, you can even see them popping out from the side!
There was lots of pre-race stretching going on. I guess one needs max range of motion to run 5-something minute miles. I wouldn’t know.
I love this pic because it shows how flippin’ tiny Kara is!
And another one . . .
I wish I had counted what percentage of women raced in compression socks; I saw a lot of them!
If you look closely above, you can see the men running around the corner. They held the women ‘til all the men got through here (almost 2.5 miles),and then the girls jogged to the start.
Almost go time!
Yes, I do actually have race photos as well. Those are up next—stay tuned!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
LOVE it! How fun to watch these amazing women… I could only dream of running like the slowest woman there. Can’t wait for the next round of pic.
xo
Thank you so much for posting those, they are amazing! I am eagerly anticipating the next batch!
Fantastic photos, Hillary, great job!! I can’t wait to see the race photos!
Cheers,
T
I LOVE THIS!!!! Can’t wait for the next bunch!
sweet….i love that there are other fanatics out there to take the pictures i wish i had taken. thanks for your camera skills! can’t wait for the rest….
nothing wrong with being a “shameless stalker” if it’s for the right reason: to admire these athletes skills which you and all of us do.
I love the start with everyone ready to go and with fingers on their stop watches. It reminds me of a few short races I used to in Hyde Park where my friends and I used to stand just behind the Pros such as Paula Radcliffe and the kenyans. Of course we’d loose touch with them within the first 500m.
The best bit was having the great Rosa Mota (portuguese marathon runner and gold olympic medallist)cheer me on at an european triathlon race whilst I was in AG team GB kit. little did she know I too am portuguese
I love doing sport and watching it too, thanks for sharing
Love the skinnyrunner stalking! Keep up the good work!
Shalene is awesome!!
Did you see MEB??
yes–so tiny!!!
Frickin’ awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!!!!!! I love the behind the scenes stuff like this.
I’m almost sure that runners wear compression socks, not for the physiological benefits of compression , but because they need the warmth. I’d be rocking knee socks too if I was that skinny mini/no body fat and wearing booty shorts and a bra!
hehe Thanks for the fabulous “insiders scoop” photos.
Kara is from Duluth, Mn and back
When she would beat all the adult women inroad races she was tiny too! She was Kara Wheeler and I figured she was tiny bc she was barely 14!
I’m glad she kept running!
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