(Above) Despite Orlando’s heat, the biggest asset of the city for the marathroners was how flat the course was. Athletes began right off of Amelia Avenue with a 2.2 mile loop through the business district, did three 8.8 miles loops through the Milk District, and finished at Lake Eola. The run included long, flat, straight stretches which gave athletes a more even playing field.
Paris is 4,000 miles away. The summers are humid. Rats dominate the Metro. The people eat snails. They just slurp them right up, and honestly, who can even understand the French language anyway? Imagine all of that during the Olympics on top of piles of sweaty flesh blocking your view of the Seine. Don’t fear. The International Olympic Committee has spared us the nuisance (and expense) of traveling to Paris by bringing a taste of France to Orlando with the Marathon trials that were hosted on February 2. You can’t watch people push their bodies to the absolute limits in the presence of Buddy Dyer and strangely aggressive swans in Paris, and, yes, the Arc de Triomphe is cool and all, but it will never compete with Beefy King’s Je ne sais quoi.
(Above) Choosing Orlando for the first-ever state to host the Olympic Marathon Trials spurred significant controversy. Florida is hot, so hot that a few of the United States’s top runners spoke to Max Siegal, the CEO of The United States Track and Field (USTAF) in hopes of moving forward the start time to 10:00 A.M. instead of 12:00 PM. Still, these temperatures, while agonizing in a way I’ll never relate to, reflect those of Paris during the summertime even without any heat wave. In support of Orlando, famous ultramarathoner, Camille Herron, said, “We’re 7 months out from the Olympic Marathon Trials. No excuses to not be prepared for a potentially hot day in Florida.” (Mrs. Erica Bolstein)(Above) The five runners the USA is taking to Paris came to be Conner Mantz and Clayton Young representing the men’s race and Fiona O’Keeffe, Emily Sisson, and Dakotah Lindwurm representing the women’s race. Third place men’s winner, Leonard Korir, is still in limbo for Paris depending on how fast other country’s runners are. This year, World Athletics dramatically decreased the Olympic qualifying standards from 2:09:40 to 2:08:10. It doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but when a millisecond can determine whether or not one becomes an Olympian, each moment counts. (Delaney Bolstein)(Above) Most of the visitors were centralized in the Dr. Philip’s Center for the Performing Arts area. Here, food trucks lined the perimeter, vendors such as iHeart Radio and Advent Health handed out USA themed merchandise, and Wesh News set up a small broadcasting station. Families of runners could also make their own posters at a booth, and, of course, there were many photo opportunities available. (Delaney Bolstein)The route in Paris will wind its way through the picturesque districts of Paris’s right bank, offering runners breathtaking views of the city’s iconic landmarks. Starting on the renowned Champs-Élysées with the majestic Arc de Triomphe as a backdrop, participants will then pass by Place de la Concorde, traverse Rue de Rivoli, and marvel at the Opéra Garnier and the Hôtel de Ville. Continuing through the verdant expanse of the Bois de Vincennes, the course will leadsrunners back along the Seine, where they can admire Notre-Dame de Paris, the Musée d’Orsay, and the iconic Eiffel Tower. The final stretch of the race will take runners through the enchanting Bois de Boulogne, passing by the esteemed Louis Vuitton Foundation, and culminating at the finish line on Avenue Foch. This is a sharp contrast to the rather mundane streets of the Milk District. (Delaney Bolstein)
Delaney Bolstein is the Editor-in-Chief of Lake Highland Preparatory School's Upper School newspaper Twice-Told Tale. She is a Senior at Lake Highland and has been at the school since Pre-K. Delaney has also been a member of the cross-country and track team since Sophomore year. Additionally, Delaney volunteers at the Winter Park Public Library. In her free time, Delaney can be found watching Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous and translating French novels.
