The 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials may well be remembered as an exciting race that produced a very seasoned and well-deserved Olympic Marathon team for the United States. It may also be remembered as the day The Hanson-Brooks Distance Project made its mark on American distance running.

When Keith and Kevin Hanson started their program in 1999 the goal was to provide American athletes with the chance to train at a world- class level by providing coaching, housing, travel and employment and ultimately to produce Olympians and Olympic medallists. High goals indeed. On Saturday, the program took a huge step as it produced the first two alternates for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece but that is just the beginning of what was undoubtedly the best day in the short history of the Hanson-Brooks Distance Project.

The pre-race hype centered on the obvious favorites Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi and Dan Browne as well as the weather. Predictions of cold temperatures and high winds had many wondering if the race would become slow and tactical. It may have it wasn't for Brian Sell. Sell, who has spent three years with Hansons-Brooks, took over the lead at 6 miles from Teddy Mitchell and proceeded to build an enormous lead that reached 69 seconds at mile 16. With several splits in the low 4:50s, Sell actually ran sub 2:10 pace from miles 6-20.

It looked at that point as if Sell may steal the race, but the fast splits and running by himself into the strong winds took too much of a toll and the chase pack of four finally reeled him in just past the 22 mile mark. Sell's front-running surely made the race fast and honest as his pursuers were forced to run negative splits over the last half of the race in order to run him down.

Who the chase pack consisted of became the next big story. The big three were all there, but the only other runner who covered all the moves was Trent Briney, also of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project. Briney, a virtual unknown even in the running community, came into the race with a personal best of 2:21:10 but had shown great improvements in training in the months leading up to the Trials.

Briney could not cover the final surge that pushed Culpepper, Keflezighi and Browne ahead of Sell and on to the Olympic team, but he remained solidly in fourth and lowered his personal best an astounding eight minutes to finish in 2:12:35. Briney's time ranks fourteenth in the history of the Olympic Marathon Trials and is the second-fastest fourth place time ever.

Hansons-Brooks athletes continued to impress after Briney crossed the line with Clint Verran finishing in fifth with a time of 2:14:37. Sell struggled in the final miles, but still finished 13th in 2:17:20. Carl Rundell was the fourth Distance Project member in the top 25, coming in 25th in 2:21:08.

All told, The Hansons-Brooks team placed seven runners in the top 42. The team had the most qualifiers, 10, of any other team in the country. It had the most participants with eight, all of whom finished, which gave the team the most finishers as well. In fact, over 10% of the 72 finishers were members of The Distance Project. The stats don't end there.

The team had the two youngest qualifiers in Ben Rosario and Nick Cordes. Rosario, 24, was the youngest finisher, running 2:23:42 for 38th place. Briney, 25, was the youngest finisher in the top 10. His eight- minute drop was easily the largest improvement in the field. Clint Verran, who finished 11th at the 2000 Trials, ran five sub-2:20 marathons from 2001-2003, more than any other competitor in the same time period. The team also took the most miles led category, 16, all by Sell.

With Sell's courageous attempt to win the race, Briney's surprising fourth-place finish and the sheer number of Hansons-Brooks jerseys in the race it is hard to imagine that any spectator was not impressed by what The Distance Project was able to accomplish. Keith and Kevin Hanson started something five years ago that they believed would turn into something very special and Saturday was a very special day.

2004 Olympic Marathon Trials

1. Alan Culpepper 2:11:42

2. Meb Keflezighi 2:11:47

3. Dan Browne 2:12:02

4. Trent Briney 2:12:35 - Hansons-Brooks

5. Clint Verran 2:14:3 - Hansons-Brooks

13. Brian Sell 2:17:20 - Hansons-Brooks

23. Ryan Shay 2:19:18 - East Jordan, Michigan

25. Carl Rundell 2:21:08 - Hansons-Brooks

38. Ben Rosario 2:23:42 - Hansons-Brooks

41. Mike Franko 2:24:31 - Hansons-Brooks

42. Terrance Shea 2:24:32 - Hansons-Brooks

52. Paul Aufdemberge 2:26:41 - Redford, Michigan

71. Bob Busquaert 2:35:29 - Hansons-Brooks