Kara Goucher

Just like teammate Shalane, Kara Goucher
trains with Nike. She was born in New York
but grew up in Duluth. Kara began
running during high school. She went to the
University of Colorado.
She won the 3000 and 5000,
and was the cross country champ her junior
year. In 2000, she was 8th in the
olympic trials. After college, she
was injured, but came back strong in '06.
She set a new PR, placing 3rd in
the 3000 in the IAAF
World Cup, and won the 10000 the next
year. She set the American record
in the half marathon in '07
before representing the US in
the 5 and 10 thousand in the Beijing
Summer Olympics. Debuting at the
marathon distance in '08, she placed
third. Other performances of note are
3rd and 5th in the Boston Marathon.
As for her personal life she married
fellow American runner Adam
Goucher. They have a son Colton. THE END!

Ok, I tried real hard to write that all in iambic pentameter in honor of the Ides of March, but I probably made some mistakes! 

Abdi Abdirahman

Abdihakem (Abdi) Abdirahman has the coolest website of all of the athletes thus far, and has represented the US more times in the Olympics as well. He was born on 1/1/1977 (pretty cool birthday too) in Somalia, and lived there through most of his high school years (he attended Jhameyasin Carte High School in Mogadishu). He finished school in the US, graduating from Tucson High School in 1995, where he went on to Pima Community College. He later transferred to the University of Arizona, where he majored in retail consumer studies. He was named the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1998, the same year he finished 2nd in the NCAA championships.

Abdi represented the US in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, placing 10th and 15th in the 10,000m. In fact, he has a lot of experience in the 10k, finishing in the top 20 in three world championships (7th in '07, 13th in '05, and 19th in '03). According to his website, the marathon distance holds the most promise, as was apparent by his 3rd place finish at the trials earlier this year.  

Desiree Davila

Desiree Davila might be one of the few women who actually wears a "normal" singlet and shorts in competition (and for that, and for the fact that she is a crazy good runner, she has my respect). She grew up in CA, and played soccer in addition to running in high school (and graduated the same year as Hall and the rest of them). Davila studied psychology at Arizona State University, where she roomed with Amy Hastings (4th at the Olympic Trials). Since college, Desiree has continued to excel at distances from the 3000m up through the marathon. Among her more notable performances:

• 2nd in the 2011 Boston Marathon (fastest time by an American on this course)
• 5th (2008) and 4th (2010) in the Chicago Marathon
• 11th in the 2009 IAAF World Championship marathon 

She currently trains with the Hanson-Brooks Team in Michigan, and is engaged to fellow marathoner Ryan Linden.

Ryan Hall

Unlike many elite runners, Ryan Hall is his own coach. This 29-year-old has plenty of distance running experience though, breaking onto the running scene when he was in high school (he, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Alan Webb all graduated in the same year). Hall was the CA cross country state champion both his junior and senior years, and won many state titles in track, along with setting some records. He attended Standford University, where he continued to excel both in cross country and track (1500-5000m). Hall earned many Pac-10 and All-American honors, graduating in 2005 with a BA in sociology.

After college, Ryan Hall's running career gained more momentum. He won the USA Cross Country Championships in 2006, broke the U.S. 20k record later that year, and broke the North American record in the half marathon early the next year. In his debut marathon ('07 London), he finished 7th overall, and won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in New York later that year. Since then, he has continued to excel at the 26.2 distance (he has run the fastest marathon time of any American - 2:04:58):

• 5th in the 2008 London Marathon
• 10th in the 2008 Summer Olympics
• 3rd in 2009, and 4th in both the 2010 and 2011 Boston Marathon

Ryan Hall has been sponsored by Asics since 2005. He is married to Sara Bei, who is also a professional runner. The two founded the Hall Steps for Foundation in 2009 to "empower the running community to use the energy and resources that fuel runners’ athletic achievements for social justice efforts". To stay up to date with Ryan Hall, follow his blog (although I'm not sure how often it gets updated).

Shalane Flanagan

Shalane Flanagan, a UNC graduate, was born in Boulder, CO in 1981, but grew up in MA. In high school, she was invited to numerous All-State meets, and set records in both the mile and two mile (which still stands). At UNC, Flanagan won national cross country titles in '02 and '03, and continued to excel in track and field at distances from the 1500-5000m. Her numerous accomplishments are summarized here. Of note:

• Two-time national champion in the 5000m
• Two-time winner of the USA Cross Country Championships
• Bronze medal in the 10,000m at the 2008 Summer Olympics (American Record)

Flanagan's family is well known in the running community-- her husband was a track star at UNC and both of her parents participated in the U.S. World Cross Country Championships and are accomplished marathon runners (her mother held the world record in 1971). Flanagan now trains with the Nike Oregon Project. Follow her blog to stay up to date with her training and racing.

Meb Keflezighi

When I was watching the trials, I realized that I knew very little about the people running, other than the obvious fact that they were all "wicked" fast. So, for the next 6 weeks, every Thursday will be dedicated to a brief bio of one of the athletes who will be representing Team USA in London. We'll start with Meb Keflezighi.

First off, Meb is just a nickname... his full first name is actually Mebrahtom... and his last name is pronounced Kef-lez-ghee. He was born on May 5, 1975 (making him 36 years-old if you don't feel like doing the math) in Eritrea. His father fled Eritrea on foot, eventually ending up in Italy, where he sent for his family so that they could escape the war that had broken out there. The Keflezighi's arrived in the San Diego when Meb was 12, and he became a naturalized citizen in 1998. Meb began his running career while still in junior high, and was the 1994 CA state champion in both the 1600m and 3200m. He continued on at UCLA where he majored in Communications (with a concentration in Business). While in college, he won numerous NCAA championship races and received a bunch of All-American awards. His career highlights are summarized here. Of particular note:

• Meb won a silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, becoming the first American man since Frank Shorter (1976) to win an Olympic medal at the marathon distance.
• In 2009, Meb won the ING NYC Marathon, becoming the first American to do so since 1982. 

He currently lives (and trains) in Mammoth Lakes, CA with his family of five. He is a member of the New York Athletic Club and is sponsored by Sketchers. Follow Meb's blog to keep up with his training, or read his book!

Houston

A weekend of marathoning lies ahead, with the trials on Saturday and the marathon for "normal" people on Sunday. So, who should you watch out for? Well, there are the usual suspects, as well as some athletes who have flown under the radar as of late. Want some history (note: this is the first time that both the men's and women's trials will be held together)? Check out this recap of the men's trials (since 1968), and this recap of the women's trials (since 1984). I am super excited about being able to watch the trials... we'll try and get some good pictures. Check here for up-to-date news, and for same-day coverage, be sure to watch NBC.