2016 U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials

Diego Estrada: The Fastest Half Of 2015

Diego Estrada: The Fastest Half Of 2015

Leading up to the February 13th U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, FloTrack will highlight the storylines of the contenders on both the men's and women's side. D

Feb 3, 2016 by Lincoln Shryack
Diego Estrada: The Fastest Half Of 2015
Leading up to the February 13th U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, FloTrack will highlight the storylines of the contenders on both the men's and women's side.

Diego Estrada: The Fastest Half Of 2015


Name: Diego Estrada

Age: 26

Hometown: Salinas, CA

Marathon PR: Debut

Best Trials Qualifier: 60:51 1/2 (January 2015)

Previous Trials Results: N/A

Our Take: Diego Estrada’s 60:51 debut half marathon in early 2015 suggests that the marathon may be his true calling. In that race in Houston, Estrada looked fearless as he ran alone from 5k on, finishing with the fastest time by an American all of last year. That alone makes him a contender. 

But of course, the marathon is an entirely different beast from its shorter relative, and Estrada will be running his first ever. Compared to fellow top debutants Galen Rupp and Sam Chelanga, Estrada is third in the pecking order in my mind, as each of those guys have run better of late and own better career résumés than the 26-year-old. 

After his 63:28 half last month in his return to Houston, where he finished two minutes behind fellow Trials contender Luke Puskedra, it’s tough to imagine the former NAU All-American cracking the top-3 in this unfamiliar race. However, Estrada does have the legendary Joe Vigil in his corner, who coached the ageless Deena Kastor to 2004 Olympic bronze in the marathon. He may not be ready to contend just yet, but the pieces are in place for a successful career in the 26.2 distance.

Below, Estrada answered three questions leading up to the big race.

Give us the details of your best workout

I had a few good long runs and tempos but I really took some confidence from some mile repeats I did after Houston. Ran 7xmile in the NAU Skydome with Brian Shrader [at] around 4:40.

What do you need to do on race day to make the team?

I think with the race being my debut I just need to run my own race and worry about making the team towards the end if I happen to be in contention. I can't lose sleep or have a set tactic, it just has to come together and feel right on that day.

What’s been your biggest obstacle to overcome in your Trials prep?

Learning how to take fluids on the run took me awhile to figure out.