Lilienthal Leads Minnesota Trials Contingent

Team USA Minnesota's Michelle Lilienthal leads a strong contingent of Minnesota women into Sunday's U.S. Women's Olympic Trails Marathon in Boston. The 26-year-old University of Wisconsin graduate sports the sixth fastest qualifying time in the field -- the 2:35:51 she ran at the 2006 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.

Lilienthal, along with Brainerd native Turena Johnson Lane and former Team USA Minnesota runner Dana Coons are contenders for one of the three Olympic team berths on offer at the race. American marathon record-holder and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor is the prohibitive favorite in the race. Johnson Lane enters the Trials with a #9-seeded 2:36:15 qualifier; Coons ran 2:38:18 to earn her toe-space on the starting line, the #11 seed in the field.

In all, nine Minnesotans will compete at the 7th Olympic Marathon Trials for women: Lilienthal, Johnson Lane, Nicole Cueno, Erin Ward, Marie Sample, Jenna Boren, Wadena native Johanna Olson, Melissa Gacek, and Chaska native Stephanie Herbst Lucke.

Among the other contenders for tickets to Beijing are two racers familiar to Minnesota marathoning fans. 2003 Twin Cities champ Blake Russell, who finished 4th at the 2004 Trials after leading the race's early stages, is likely to be a factor in this year's race. Also a likely challenger for a team spot is defending Grandma's Marathon champion Mary Akor, the #3 seed.

1999 TCM champ Kim Pawelek will run her third Trials on Sunday. Former TCM champs Marla Runyan and Nicole Aish, however, have scratched from the event.

The race will be web-cast live, HERE, thanks for NBC.

You can find all sorts of information on the event, HERE, at the Trials web-site.