The world record holder at 50K, CJ Alberston, has had a busy start to December. Alberston, 30, a newly minted dad of two, won the California International Marathon (CIM) on December 3 in 2:11:09, securing himself a $10,000 prize for his efforts.
But the race is not run on a World Athletics-certified course, which meant that Alberston still needed to run a marathon under 2:11:30 in order to be eligible to be selected for the 2024 Olympics at February’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. So a week later, on December 10, Albertson ran the Baja California Marathon in Mexico, where crossed the line in first in 2:11:08, ticking off the important box.
While you won’t find many coaches who’d endorse racing two marathons in a week, Albertson is no stranger to high-volume mileage and massive race efforts. In 2019, he broke the indoor marathon world record (2:17:59) just two weeks after running 2:16:47 at the Modesto Marathon. He also regularly logs 100+ mile weeks with speedy long runs, like 24.40 miles at 5:08 pace—on the treadmill.
Now, in order to make the U.S. Olympic team, Alberston must finish in the top two at the Trials in Orlando on February 3.
(At least as of now. It’s complicated.)
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a nine-time marathoner with a best of 3:23. She’s also proud of her 19:40 5K and 5:33 mile. Heather is an RRCA certified run coach.
Theo Kahler is the news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
