In an age where even reality has been reduced to another manufactured or processed product, where the words and actions of our elected leaders are marbled with hidden agendas and corrosive half-truths, sport seems the last vestige through which to experience an Ivory-Soap version of truth as a by-product of pure effort.

Here we are less than a week out from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Texas.  In a few short days all the hard work, all the sacrifice of the last year, or more, will be born to the starting line by men and women hoping for the stars to align with fate in an expression of human performance. It is on just such occasions that magic can happen – ask Ryan Hall – which is why sport continues to hold us unyieldingly in its thrall.

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Though Kenyan women swept the podium at the IAAF World Championships Marathon last summer in Daegu, South Korea, at least one, if not more, of the U.S. women who emerge from next weekend’s Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston must still be considered a medal contender in London 2012. Which is why the women’s race may hold even greater significance in the big picture than the men’s race. There will be a fine field toeing the men’s line in Houston, but the chances of one of them standing on the Olympic podium in August is significantly less probable than their female counterparts. Here’s why.

First, the Kenyan women, though excellent, are nowhere near as dominant as their men. This, too, may change in the future, but at present the opportunities for girls to explore their individual talents in Kenya trail that of boys significantly due to still-standing cultural norms. This leaves the door ajar for women from many other nations to be in contention for Olympic Marathon medals.

In between Kastor and Flanagan stands Flanagan’s new teammate with the Oregon Track Club, Kara Goucher. That long-time rivals would decide to join forces is a testament to the world-class goals of both women. Rather than maintain their independent fiefdoms, Goucher and Flanagan both knew they, along with training partner Lisa Uhl (nee Koll), could lift one another to the higher realms necessary to continue mining international medals.

Additional motivation will come from Goucher’s gutsy but frustrating fifth place 2:24:52 at theBoston Marathon this spring just seven months after the birth of her son Colt. Frustrating in the sense that as Kenyans Caroline Kilel, Sharon Cherop, and Caroline Rotich along with America’s Desi Davilapulled away mid-way through the race, one had the feeling, even at the time, that Kara felt if only she had another month’s training in her legs…

“We’ve yet to see the full Kara,” said one pundit. “She’s always been coming back from injury or pregnancy.”

And so it is again for the Trials. Goucher has had to ramp up cautiously coming off a summer hip injury. So though she and Flanagan train under Jerry Schumacher, they haven’t been able to do the same level of training. Their hope is to both make the team, then begin the big buildup to London matching strides along the way.

For her part, Desi Davila is a throwback to one of America’s great initial Running Boom champions, Patti Catalano. A one-time cigarette smoking candy-striper, Patti never did run competitively in school, and only took up the sport to lose weight and try to quit smoking.  When after only six months of training she won the Newport Marathon in 2:50, she discovered a reservoir of hidden talent that led to three Boston Marathon runner-up finishes, four Honolulu Marathons titles, and the first women’s sub-2:30 marathon in American history. Only the presence of another native New Englander, Olympic queen Joan Benoit Samuelson, caused Patti’s star to shine less brightly.

Davila never catapulted to stardom. Instead, she ground out the miles, and sharpened her edges on the track, constantly improving year in and year out.  In 2008 in just her second marathon at the Boston Olympic Trials she learned valuable lessons in the mental game of Trials racing.  Though up as high as fourth and moving in on third for a spell, she faded back to 13th in 2:37:50. She’ll not come unhinged in Houston. She will respect all, but fear none.  And they best keep an eye close on her. She races like first is just another place, but this will be her first major marathon where she is expected to finish high.  How will that effect her?

As coach Kevin Hanson told RW: “The thing with Des is that when she ran 2:26 in Chicago (2010) she was a 32:30 10K runner. When she knocked her 10K time down to 32:05 she was able to do what she did in Boston (2:22:38, 2^ndplace). She has now knocked it down to 31:37, so you can see the trend where she gets faster in other distances and that transfers to the marathon.”

While the men have the intriguing wild cards like debutants Brian Olinger, Brent Vaughn, and Mo Trafeh, the women are led by a host of favorites, and a few up-and-comers who may rise enough in Houston to fly all the way to London.

Flagstaff’s Stephanie Rothstein came out of nowhere in Houston last January to take second place in 2:29:35. Amy Hastings (Arizona State teammate of Desi Davila) battled a biblical downpour in L.A. last March to post a second-place 2:27:03 debut, then made the World Championships final in the 5000-meters.  Her improvement curve could be as steep as anyone’s.  Kenyan-born Janet Cherobon-Bawcom will make her first serious attempt at the marathon in Houston, but has a string of U.S. national road titles and 1:11 halves to bolster her confidence, and Morgantown, West Virginia’s Clara Grandt posted a sub-2:30 in Boston (though in 16^th place) to enter the sweepstakes as an outside contender. Threee-time Olympian (10,000, marathon, 5000) Jen Rhines, 2008 marathon Olympian Blake Russelland former track 10,000m standout Katie McGregor have all the savvy.  Can they put it all together for one last hurrah?

But it remains Flanagan, Goucher, Davila, and Boulet who have shown the most consistency at the world levels track to marathon. Shalane has four of the top ten qualifying performances in the field  –  including marathons, half-marathons, and 10,000m track performances.  Kara holds three top qualifying performances. The USATF 10,000 meter championship in Eugene last summer would not be a bad indication of how the talent shakes out in Houston - with Amy Hastings as the threat.

1. Shalane Flanagan - 31:59.97
2. Kara Goucher - 32:16.65
3. Jen Rhines - 31:30.37
4. Desi Davila - 31:37.14 PR
5. Magda L-B - 31:48.58 PR

By its very nature, this first-ever double Olympic Marathon Trials – men’s and women’s simultaneously - will unleash an abundance of kinetic, psychic, and emotional energy.  The quadrennial scheduling of its occurence makes it unique.  The consequences of its outcome mark it as hallowed.

At this time, in this place, by this task, for these colors:

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Take your marks.”

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