Tollefson Undecided on Olympic Trials Event

2004 Olympic 1500 meter semi-finalist Carrie Tollefson, in New York City for tomorrow's Central Park Challenge: USA Men’s 8K Championship, Women’s Invitational 8K, said yesterday she's still deciding which event to contest at the Olympic Track and Field Trials this summer.

"I’m keeping the options open — 1500 and 5000," she told the media yesterday in the Big Apple. "You can’t double this year, you know — the Olympic schedule doesn’t permit it. I’m going to race a lot now — a couple more road races, and then I’ll start running 5000s, then shift down to the 1500."

Tollefson, who spent the better part of 2007 recovering from a long-standing abdominal injury, returned to competition in February at the Tyson Invitational where she finished 6th in the Mile in 4:42.85.

"The 5000’s got a lot of good Americans now," she noted. "Jen Rhines is racing it again, Marla [Runyan] might come back, and there are the younger women now, too, like Kara Goucher and Lauren Fleshman. The Olympic standard won’t get us far any more — when Shalane [Flanagan] is running 14:44, well, we’ve got to run fast."

Tollefson is one of five Team USA Minnesota runners competing in the Central Park Challenge 8K tomorrow, the USA 8k Championship for men and an impressive, non-championship gathering of U.S. women. Also competing for Team USA Minnesota are newly crowned USA 15K champ Andrew Carlson, Matt Gabrielson, and Brad Lowery in the men's race, and former USA 10K champ Katie McGregor in the women's event.

Other Minnesotan's in event include former Carleton College all-American Matt Hooley and St. Paul Academy and Summit School graduate Cack Ferrell.

Full startlists can be found here ... MEN WOMEN