The road to Tokyo winds through Atlanta.
The 2020 Olympic Team trials for the marathon will be held in Atlanta, the USA Track & Field and USOC announced on Monday.
The top three finishers in both the men's and women's marathon trials will qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo as long as they meet the qualifying performance standards.
The race is Feb. 29, 2020 and will be held in conjunction with the Atlanta Marathon, which is the following day.
Atlanta beat out Chattanooga, the other finalist to host the trials. Austin, Texas and Orlando, Florida were other interested cities.
“Atlanta’s legacy in the sport, their creative commitment to athlete support, and the experience of their event management team were compelling. USATF looks forward to working with Atlanta Track Club, the City of Atlanta and the U.S. Olympic Committee on what promises to be an amazing Olympic Trials,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said in a statement on Monday.
Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games. The city also hosted the USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships from 1994-2001. The Atlanta Track Club, the local host, has been part of the USATF Running Circuit since it started in 2002. It hosts the 10K road racing championships in conjunction with the Peachtree Road Race, the world's largest 10K.
Start times and broadcast information for the marathon trials will be announced in the coming months.
