In the months and years leading up to the 2012 London Olympic Games, athletes have fought to represent their respective nations. Some will be rewarded for their scrappiness and determination.
Lanni Marchant is scrappy, and she’s determined. But she hasn’t been awarded an athlete’s highest honor. Instead, she’ll likely be watching the 2012 Olympic marathon on TV, wondering what might have been.
Hitting Her Stride
To run in the Olympic marathon, the International Association of Athletics Federations requires women to have run 2:37:00 or faster. Canada sets a tougher standard, at 2:29:55.
Lanni Marchant, of London, Ontario, is faster than all but a handful of women in North America. Yet she’s not fast enough.