Olympic Trials - Local Runners to Watch

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Marathon are happening this Saturday, February 29 in Atlanta - and we couldn’t be more excited to see some familiar faces at the start line! We encourage you to join us in closely following along - Josh and Matt from the HMF staff will head down south to cheer them on. Follow their Olympic Trials experience via our Facebook and Instagram on Friday and Saturday, and tune in live on NBC Saturday 12-3pm EST to watch the race.

These incredible local athletes represent different towns, track clubs, collegiate records and high school performances, but they all have one thing in common: they’ve taken on the same stretch of pavement that many of you have conquered in the past: the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon. Read more about the connections these Olympic-level runners have to your community below. We think you might just find some great reasons to root for these athletes on Saturday:

Women's field:
Karen Bertasso, Albany, NY

Bertasso qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the 2018 Eversource Hartford Marathon where we she took second place in 2:43:46, beating the standard qualifying time of 2:45 for women.

Heidi Caldwell, Craftsbury, VT

Caldwell crossed the finish line in fourth place at last year’s Eversource Hartford Marathon. Her time of 2:42:15 earned her a spot in the top five female winners, who all qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Marci Klimek, Arlington, MA

Klimek, the defending female champion of the Eversource Hartford Marathon, crossed the finish line last year with a scorching time of 2:35:22, over a five-minute lead ahead of the second place female.

Ellie Pell, Ithaca, NY
Ellie Pell earned her Olympic qualifying time last year when she took third place at the Eversource Hartford Marathon.

Annemarie Tuxbury, New Hartford, CT
A Connecticut running sensation, Tuxbury is a member of the Woodbridge Running Company, Milford Road Runners and a graduate of Northwestern Regional High School. She claimed a victory at the 2018 Eversource Hartford Half Marathon and was named 2018 New England Runner Magazine New England Runner of the Year.

Elizabeth Ryan, San Diego, CA
This Farmington, CT, native took the win at the Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2016.


Men's field:
Everett Hacket, Hartford, CT

Local superstar Everett Hacket is no stranger to Hartford. He’s an active member of the local Hartbeat Track Club and holds several records at his hometown Hall High School, where he is now Cross Country and T&F Coach.

Jonas Hampton, Newtonville, MA

This University of Hartford graduate won the 2015 Eversource Hartford Marathon in his debut 26.2, where he got his OTQ for the 2016 Trials.

Brian Harvey, Cambridge, MA

Harvey triumphantly took first place in the 2016 Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2:17:56.

Sean O’Connor, West Hartford, CT

Sean O’Connor is the youngest male in the Trials field but far from an underdog. A member of the local Hartbeat Track Club, he placed second in the 2019 Eversource Hartford Half Marathon with a time of 1:05:27, less than a minute behind the winner. The Trials will be his debut marathon.

Jonathan Phillips, Boston, MA

Breaking the tape in 1:04:51 last year, Phillips is the defending champion of the Eversource Hartford Half Marathon.

Tim Ritchie, Northampton, MA

Ritchie is not only the 2017 winner of the Eversource Hartford Half Marathon, he’s also the course record holder with a time of 1:02:41. Plus, he’s the head cross country coach at UMass.

David Sinclair, Truckee, CA

Sinclair claimed his spot at the top of the podium in 2018, winning the Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2:18:23.

Ryan Smith, Auburn, ME

His ecstatic expression said it all, Smith crossed the finish line at last year’s Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2:18:25 to secure his Olympic qualifying time and take home the win.

Christopher Zablocki, Phoenix, AZ
Zablocki, an Essex, CT native and Xavier High School grad, holds a 2017 Eversource Hartford Marathon first-place title in addition to countless wins in races across the state.