Erin O’Mara recently made some big strides in the running world.
O’Mara snagged a spot in the U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials on Jan. 14, 2012 in Houston by finishing the 26.2 miles of the California International Marathon on Dec. 4 with a time of 2:43:55. A time of 2:46:00 was needed to make the January race.
‘Just qualifying for the trials is satisfaction for me,? said O’Mara, a 2002 Goodrich High School graduate and Eastern Michigan University student. I’m going to up against the best in the United States’there are some outstanding runners in that race.?
In June, O’Mara said she was 1 minute and 39 seconds short of making the Olympic trials during the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. She finished in 2:47:39, placing 29th out of 2,678 women.
‘I’m just going to continue my typical training pace for Houston,? said O’Mara, 27.
O’Mara said her training consists of about 100-120 miles per week’with long runs on weekends of about 20-25 miles.
‘I’m not quite up to the times of the top female runners in the United States’but I’m happy to give it my best and just enjoy my run.?
O’Mara averaged 6:16 per mile in the California International Marathon.
She will be competing against U.S. runners like Desiree Davila of Rochester Hills who finished the Boston Marathon in 2:22:38, the fastest time for an American woman ever at Boston.