Nearly three years ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA Track and Field announced on Monday that the marathon trials qualifying standards are two minutes quicker for men and stay the same for the women.
Men will have to post a qualifying time of 2:16, which is two minutes quicker than 2024 while the women’s field will stick to the 2:37 time mark from the previous period.
USATF also revealed that the qualifying window is September 1 until 60 days before the trials.
“We’re thrilled to see the work of the LDR committees come to fruition as we introduce the qualifying procedures for the 2028 Trials,” USATF director of Long Distance Running Programs Amy Begley said in a statement. “The standards and qualifying window were formed with direct feedback from athletes, coaches and agents at the front of mind with the goal of creating an environment that prioritizes athletes’ performance needs. We’ve had such a surge of young, record-breaking talent on the roads in recent years and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2028.”
Meanwhile, beginning on January, runners can also qualify with top half marathon performances, with the 1:03 mark posted for men and 1:12 for women.
USATF noted that the shift back to “A” and “B” standards to ensure full fields at the trials along with implementing chip times for qualification rather than gun times.
Athletes who achieve the “B” standard will qualify for trials, while those who meet the quicker “A” standard get funding and travel costs covered for the trials. The “A” standard will be revealed later.
Ultimately, the aim is to field about 200 men and 200 women at the 2028 marathon trials as the 2024 qualifying times accounted for 228 men and 173 women qualifiers.
No date or location has been selected for the 2028 race.
The 2024 trials were held in Orlando, Florida as Conner Mantz took the win in the men’s field 2:09:05, while Clayton Young (2:09:06) and Leonard Korir (2:09:57) grabbed the other two slots. In the women’s race Fiona O’Keeffe won in 2:22:10,
Emily Sisson was second (2:22:42) and Dakotah Lindwurm was third (2:25:31).
Potential qualifiers will have numerous opportunities to achieve the standard in their respective fields though events that meet USATF’s eligibility guidelines.
“As we look ahead to the 2028 Olympic Trials, we are extremely excited to know that we’ll have best-in-class qualification standards to help ensure that full fields toe the line in both the men’s and women’s races,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said in a statement. “We are committed to delivering a world-class and unforgettable experience for competitors and fans while we select the marathon squad who will represent the U.S. in the first home Games of the millennium.”
