Marathon News - Kastor's Pacer Qualifies for US Olympic Trials

Apr-23-2006

Kastor's Pacer Qualifies for US Olympic Trials
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

LONDON (23-Apr) -- Akin to the man bites dog story, Deena Kastor's training
partner and pacemaker at the Flora London Marathon, Mike McKeeman, qualified
for the U.S. Olympic Trials Men's Marathon here today as he paced Kastor to
an American record 2:19:36.

McKeeman, who is from the Philadelphia area but has lived in California
since last year so he could train with Kastor, was the second man home
amongst the male pacers who ran in the women's elite race. He crossed the
finish line in a personal best 2:20:27. Henry Tarus of Kenya finished ahead
of McKeeman, but his time was not readily available.

McKeeman was trying to break 2:20, along with Kastor, to get an "A" qualifer
for the U.S. Trials, but his finish time is well inside the "B" standard of
2:22:00.