2028 US OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS – MARATHON AWARDED TO ST. LOUIS:
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
(04-Jun) — The 2028 USA Olympic Team Trials – Marathon will be held in St. Louis on March 25, 2028, USA Track and Field (USATF) announced today. St. Louis beat out a competing bid from Phoenix, the only city competing for the event. This will be the second time the trials have been held in the Gateway City, and the first time for the men and women.
“We are proud to announce St. Louis as the host of the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon,” USATF Executive Director Max Siegel said in a press release. “Throughout the competition process, the local organizing committee demonstrated the professionalism, vision and passion needed to host one of the most important events on the road to Los Angeles. We are confident that this event will provide an exceptional experience for the entire running community and bring the best runners to face the world’s best in Los Angeles.”
St. Louis also hosted the 1904 Olympics, which hosted the first Olympic marathon in the United States. In 2004, the city hosted the women’s trials, with 123 starters and 107 finishers. Officials said today that maintaining their connection to the Olympics is fundamentally important to the city.
“As America’s first Olympic city to host the Games in 1904, that legacy is really important to us,” St. Louis Sports Commission Chairman Mark Schreiber said in a video conference call with reporters. “Anytime we have the opportunity to connect with the Olympic Movement and partner with one of our NGBs, it’s really important to us. We’re always looking, in every Olympics, to see what makes strategic sense for St. Louis.”
In 2004, athletes ran 3.65 laps in downtown Forest Park, with 39-year-old Colleen De Rijk winning in 2:28:25. For 2028, organizers have opted for an all-city course that will still include the park, but will take athletes past some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including the University of Washington (site of the 1904 Olympic Stadium), the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium. The finish line will be inside Energizer Park, home of St. Louis CITY SC, the local Major League Soccer franchise. The final course layout has yet to be determined, and the race will be paired with the mass participation of the Greater St. Louis Marathon the following day.
GO St. Louis, a nonprofit organization that “encourages individuals and families in the St. Louis region to adopt healthy and active lifestyles year-round,” according to the group’s website, is responsible for the event. GO St. Louis hosts the Greater St. Louis Marathon on April 11, 2026, with 1,410 finishers (an additional 5,977 finished the companion half marathon, 10-K and 5-K).
Although the Olympic Games are a small marathon by modern standards; The 2024 trials in Orlando had 349 starters and are very expensive to stage. Organizers may not use sponsors that conflict with any of the sponsors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, greatly limiting their potential sources of commercial revenue. They also cannot collect entry fees from tens of thousands of runners like large commercial marathons. Schreiber said about it in a conversation with journalists today.
“It’s a difficult event for the city to produce financially,” Schreiber said simply. “We knew it completely, eyes wide open, going in. It’s about the community support we have in St. Louis. During our application process, several partners came forward and made significant commitments. It doesn’t take us all the way, we have a long way to go.”
Transportation, housing and food for the athletes make up the majority of the costs of the trials. The USATF has not yet announced an “A” qualifying standard above two qualifying times, which ensures that all of their expenses will be paid. Only a low “B” standard was set (2:16:00 for men and 2:37:00 for women). 273 athletes (134 men and 139 women) have already reached these standards. It is not yet known how many of them will pay their expenses.
Officials say the prize money, which was $600,000 in 2024, should be similar, but the final number has not yet been determined.
Trials are about much more than racing. It is the most important gathering of American distance runners in each Olympic circuit, with athletes representing almost every state. It is broadcast live on NBC and makes a statement about where the United States stands in the world of marathon running. It also makes an announcement about the host city.
“It’s a big deal for us to grow the sport in St. Louis,” Schreiber said. “We have an opportunity to raise the profile of running and elevate the Greater St. Louis Marathon and GO! St. Louis, everything is coming together to push us to go after this event.”
