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L-R:
Dan Browne, Trent Briney, Meb Keflezighi, Scott Larson,
Eddy Hellebuyck, and Alan Culpepper chase after Brian
Sell.
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This
looks like a blurry picture of nothing, but it marks
the point in the race (the 22nd mile) where the pack
caught Brian Sell.
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Alan
Culpepper, took control, and for the first time in
the race, it looked like we might know who was going...
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...to
be on the Olympic team. Though Culpepper, Keflezighi,
and Browne were probably the three favorites...
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...the
race was much more exciting than the results would
suggest. Once the top three runners had pulled away,
they still needed to 1) make sure they...
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...held
on to their positions, and 2) determine their finish
order.
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As
has happened so many times before, it came down to
a race between Culpepper and Keflezighi.
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Culpepper,
runing just his second marathon, kicked away after
the 26-mile mark to win the Olympic Trials in 2:11:42.
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Keflezighi
finished second in 2:11:47 and, like Culpepper, qualified
for his second Olympic Games but the first in the
marathon.
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Dan
Browne appeared to hit a rough patch in the last four
miles, but he pulled out of it and finished third
with room to spare.
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Browne's
2:12:02 wasn't far from his PR in tough conditions.
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But
probably the biggest story of the race was Trent Briney's
fourth-place finish.
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Briney
finished in 2:12:35; his previous personal best was
2:21:10.
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Another
Hansons-Brooks runner, Clint Verran, moved up to take
fifth in 2:14:37.
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Josh
Cox produced a solid race to finish seventh in 2:15:18.
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Team
USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle finished 10th in 2:16:27.
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Keith
Dowling ran well to finish 11th in 2:16:50.
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Steven
Moreno (left, 16th, 2:17:48) congratulates teammate
Corey Creasey (17th, 2:17:58).
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Ryan
Shay, suffering from a hamstring injury, finished
23rd in 2:19:20.
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