FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 20th, 2015
NBC SPORTS TO PRESENT UNPRECEDENTED LIVE COVERAGE OF U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS MARATHON IN FEBRUARY 2016
U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon for Men and Women to Air Live for First Time
Coverage Airs Saturday, February 13, at 1 p.m. ET on NBC
STAMFORD, Conn. – Aug. 20, 2015 – NBC Sports Group, the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Track & Field, and LA MARATHON LLC announced today that NBC will broadcast unprecedented live coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon for men and women from Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday, February 13, 2016, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
This marks the first time in U.S. Olympic Team Trials history that the men’s and women’s marathons will be televised live nationally. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will live stream the coverage.
“The Road to Rio will begin on the streets of Los Angeles as we start our U.S. Olympic Team Trials coverage with an unprecedented live presentation of the men’s and women’s marathons,” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “This is a great start to our deepest U.S. Trials coverage ever.”
“NBC’s commitment to Team USA and the Olympic Games is extraordinary and we’re thrilled that these world-class athletes will be able to compete on live television,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “Whether you’re one of the thousands lining the race course in Los Angeles or one of the millions watching at home, these athletes will show you just how much it means to represent the United States of America at the Olympic Games.”
“Being able to ensure live, national television coverage was a top priority for USATF in the 2016 Olympic Trials selection process,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “With NBC’s coverage, the stars of one of this country’s biggest cultural and athletic movements will receive unprecedented national exposure. February 13 will be a great day for distance running in the United States.”
“Not only is it a great honor for Los Angeles to host the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, it’s another opportunity to demonstrate to the country and the world exactly why Los Angeles is quickly becoming the capital of premiere endurance sports in the United States,” said Tracey Russell, Chief Executive of LA MARATHON LLC. “We’re very pleased to announce that NBC will be broadcasting the Trials live and that millions of viewers will be joining us to witness the country’s best marathoners pursue their Olympic dreams here on the streets of Los Angeles.”
Expected to headline the men’s field will be 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, a three-time Olympian who earned a silver medal in Athens (2004) and placed fourth in London (2012). Other notable Olympians expected in the field include Abdi Abdirahman (2000, ’04, ’08, ’12), Ryan Hall (2008, ’12), Dathan Ritzenhein (2004, ’08, ’12), and Matt Tegenkamp (2008, ’12).
The women’s field is expected to be led by three-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan, who won a bronze medal in the 10,000m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and placed 10th in the marathon at the 2012 London Games. London Olympian Desiree Linden, who finished fourth in the 2015 Boston Marathon, will be looking to make her second consecutive Olympic team. Other notable Olympians expected in the field include Amy Cragg (2012), Kara Goucher (2008, 2012), and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor (2000, ’04, ’08).
THE RIO OLYMPICS BEGIN AUGUST 5, 2016
About NBC Olympics
A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The 2012 London Olympics were watched by 217 million Americans, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.
Having produced every Summer Olympics since Seoul in 1988 and every Winter Olympics since Salt Lake City in 2002, the networks of NBCUniversal are synonymous with the Games in the United States. NBCUniversal has the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2032. At the conclusion of the 2032 Games, NBCUniversal will have presented 23 total Olympic Games and 17 consecutive, the most for a U.S. media company in both categories.
NBC has won an unprecedented 95 Emmy Awards for its Olympics coverage, as well as a prestigious Peabody Award for its presentation of the Beijing Opening Ceremony in 2008, which USA Today said was “the best overall Olympic experience ever provided by a U.S. network.”
About LA MARATHON LLC
LA MARATHON LLC, a subsidiary of McCourt Global, creates world-class experiences that ignite passion in athletes and connect communities through the transformative power of sport. The Los Angeles Marathon is among the largest marathons in the country with more than 26,000 participants, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The “Stadium to the Sea” course, starting at Dodger Stadium and finishing near the Santa Monica Pier, is one of the most scenic in the world, taking runners on a tour of Los Angeles past every major landmark. LA MARATHON LLC will host the 2016 Olympic Team Trials for Men’s and Women’s Marathon, awarded by USA Track & Field and the United States Olympic Committee, which will take place in Los Angeles February 13, 2016. For more information, please visit www.lamarathon.com.
–RIO 2016–
