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.

Bobby Curtis: Looking For Consistency After Bumpy 2015

Name: Bobby Curtis

Age: 31

Hometown: Louisville, KY

Marathon PR: 2:11:20 (Chicago 2014)

Best Trials Qualifier: 2:11:20 (Chicago 2014)

Previous Trials Results: N/A

Our Take: Former NCAA champion Bobby Curtis is coming off an inconsistent 2015, with a runner-up finish at the U.S. Cross Country Championships and a forgettable 17th placing in the U.S. Outdoor 10k showing both ends of the spectrum. The 31-year-old then had a hamstring injury pop up in the fall which threatened a proper 26.2 build up, all in all a combination that makes Curtis a perplexing case entering his fourth marathon.

A great day could see Curtis in the top-5 mix, but he seems just as likely to be a non-factor. The delayed start caused by the injury— plus a 16 month hiatus from the marathon— would suggest that the latter is a more likely outcome. 

Coming in with a 2:11 PR, Curtis is realistic about his chances to make the Olympic team. “It’s going to take an A+ in training, and an A+ on race day,” he said. Fortunately for him, Curtis believes the hamstring issue was actually a blessing in disguise, allowing him to head to the LA starting line refreshed, and at least giving him a shot to make that A+ race happen on February 13th.

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

Give us the details of your best workout

We've had two pretty big workouts that make me think I'm ready to go. 4 weeks ago I did a 16 miler on a very hot and humid day in Orlando. I averaged 5:00-5:01 on a course with a lot of tight turns.  The second workout I did was a week ago. I did 2x6 mile at around 4:52 pace with a ten minute jog between reps. These workouts aren't super impressive on their own, but considering they were in the middle of a 125 mile week and a 140 mile week I was very pleased.

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

I have a few opinions about the race. I think the LA course is going to be a little slow. I think there are probably 10 or so guys with a realistic shot of making the team and I don't envision a 2012 scenario where four guys break away early (although it's certainly possible). So bringing this all together, I think it's going to [be] a crowded and fiercely contested race for top 3 from start to finish. So for me staying out of trouble, hitting even splits and not fading in the final 2 miles are going to be on my mind during the race. On a nice day I think a 2:10- 2:11 will make the team and I think on a hotter day 2:11-2:12.

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

I had a hamstring injury for the majority of this past fall. In early December I was pretty bummed and thinking I probably wasn't going to be able to survive a marathon segment and make it to the line. In hindsight, that missed time may have been a blessing, I've felt very mentally and physically fresh during this build up.