NEW YORK - It wasn't too long ago that top American runner Khalid Khannouchi was blazing through the streets of Philadelphia in the prestigious Distance Run where it seemed like he was a threat to the World Record in the half marathon every time he toed the starting line.
It wasn't just in Philadelphia or the half marathon, either. The citizens in London and Chicago also have seen Khannouchi torch the field in the full 26.2-mile marathon distance featuring some the best distance runners ever. Between October of 1999 and April of 2002, Khannouchi set both the World and American records in the marathon twice - once apiece in each city.
By the end of 2002, when he was just 31 years old and coming into his prime years as an endurance athlete, Khannouchi had the world in the palm of his hand. Newly naturalized as an American citizen in May of 2000, Khannouchi not only owned the most-coveted records in his event, but also had established himself as the greatest marathoner of all time by virtue of his five best times. He had run the fastest debut marathon ever; he was the first human to break 2:06 in the distance and added the 20K world best to his impressive resume, too.
Better yet, he had set up his home base in New York's Hudson Valley where he and his wife Sandra were knee deep in the American Dream. The only thing missing amidst the record times and the victories in major marathons was a chance to stand atop the podium in the Olympics as the "Star Spangled Banner" played.
As 2002 turned into 2003, the thought that Khannouchi would represent the U.S. in the Athens Games and win a medal was as solid a bet as one could make. In fact, the very notion seemed inevitable. Khannouchi had missed his shot at the Olympics in 2000 when his naturalization could not be expedited in time for him to compete in the Trials. Instead of travelling to Sydney to race in the Olympic Marathon, Khannouchi went to Chicago where he won that marathon for the third time in four years and shattered the American record with a 2:07:01.
Yes, by the time 2003 rolled around and Khannouchi had lowered that 2000 American record to a world best 2:05:38, it seemed as if there was nothing the man could not do.
But it never happened. Khannouchi did not get to the podium at the Olympics as most expected in 2004. Actually, he didn't even make it to the starting line at the Trials. Since then, he's been doing all he can to find an ounce of consistency to a career that was once as sure as the tides.
When the dreaded injury bug rears its head and bites it makes many athletes wonder about what could have been. Most athletes, that is, except for Khannouchi.
"I don't regret anything. Injuries are a part of our game," he said. "You have to be a man and accept what you get. I was happy I was able to get great times and win major marathons when I was in shape, but injuries are part of the game and you have to do the best you can to treat them and get back to running. That's what I've tried to do though I might not be in the best of shape for the U.S. Olympic Trials."
But these days, with the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials set for this Saturday, Khannouchi has to wonder if this is his last shot. Now quickly approaching his 36th birthday with his fastest times seemingly behind him, Khannouchi might have just one more chance to get to the Olympic podium.
That is if he even makes the Olympic team for the Beijing Games in 2008.
This Saturday's Olympic Trials that will take place over a challenging (read: undulating terrain) criterium-style course in New York City's Central Park, is said by more than a few seasoned experts to be the deepest field for the race ever. First held in 1968, the Olympic team is determined by the top three finishers in the trials race. If an injury (or something else) knocks one of the top three out of the Olympics, the spot is filled by the fourth-place finisher (and so on) from the Trials. It's quite an egalitarian - better yet - American way to select an Olympic team. With all three members of the last Olympic team slated to race (Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi and Dan Browne), along with a handful of the up-and-coming U.S. marathoners - including Ryan Hall, the 23-year old Californian who ran a 2:08 in London last April for the fastest debut ever by an American - Saturday's field is stacked deep. As many as 10 runners have a legitimate shot to crack the top three to earn a spot to go to Beijing.
The race will be just as tough on the runners mentally as it will physically.
"There's definitely a lot more depth and it will be a lot more challenging, and the course itself is challenging, so it's tough," said Keflezighi, who won the silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Needless to say, Khannouchi, of course, is one of those contenders. He enters the race with the fastest qualifying time - a 2:07:04 in London in 2006 - but one would be hard pressed to find too many pundits penciling the Morocco native into their top three.
Why? Isn't it a bit curious that the current American record holder and two-time world record holder is being written off in favor of guys like Hall, Keflezighi and young guns Abdi Abdirahman and Dathan Ritzenhein? How can the only guy in the field who has run slower than 2:07:19 just twice in his nine career races be considered a dark horse?
Does that make sense?
Well, kind of.
For one thing, Khannouchi has completed just two marathons since winning Chicago in 2:05:56 in 2002. For another, all of his marathons were run in Chicago and London, two courses (to be generous) known to be runner-friendly and where a sidewalk curb could be considered a gain in altitude.
And of course the biggest reason why Khannouchi isn't as feared as he once was is those nagging injuries. It was the injuries that kept him from completing a single marathon during 2003, 2005 and, yes, even 2007. During Tuesday's pre-race conference call, Khannouchi revealed that his training had been hampered by a neuroma between the second and third metatarsals on his right foot. He says even easy running causes him pain, though his sponsor, New Balance, has designed a special shoe to fit in a specially designed orthotic that has been wearing throughout his training during the past two months.
Add in the fact that a bulk of Khannouchi's training occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, where it is customary for followers to fast during daylight hours, and no one is really sure what to expect this Saturday.
"I really don't know what kind of shape I'm in right now because I didn't perform well in my races," Khannouchi said, noting that he ran a less-than stellar 1:05:04 in the San Jose's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.
Meanwhile, Khannouchi notes that he wasn't able to run his typical 130-miles per week, settling instead for a more modest 105. To accommodate his training, Khannouchi traveled from Ossining, N.Y. to Manhattan to do midnight runs over the Trials course in Central Park. That was followed by rising a few hours later to start the process all over again.
"I had to make some adjustments. I didn't do as many miles as I usually do before a marathon," Khannouchi explained. "This is the first time I had to train through Ramadan, in the past I would do easy runs and easy workouts. I think I did a pretty good job. If the race is a tactical race and I don't have to run 2:07 to be on the podium [it will help].
"I would do my first run at 5 p.m., two hours after breaking the fast, and I would have to wait until midnight to do my second workout. My wife was with me all the time, every day. That's the motivation and sacrifice you have to do if you want to achieve your dream."
Could Khannouchi be playing possum? Is he using a little reverse psychology to make his competitors believe he isn't quite as good as he once was?
Maybe. But then again, maybe not.
But the American dream still burns for Khannouchi, though maybe not as brightly as it once did. Finishing in the top three on Saturday would prove to be the topper to an epic career.
"Not as much as I did before," Khannouchi said in response to a question about whether the Olympic dream still burns as hot as it once did. "But to be honest, I still have the drive and this is a very important dream for me.
"For me it's a dream to represent my country in the Olympics and do the same [as Meb]. I've worked as hard as I can. I did the best I can and I feel I can do as well as everybody else."
So how will it shake out on Saturday? Can Khannouchi battle the course and the competitors to finally get there? Does he have what it takes for one last hurrah?
"It's tough to say because the marathon is always so unpredictable," Khannouchi said. "To be honest, I don't have a tactic that I'm going to use in the race. But we all assume that it will be a slow first half and then everything will be played in the last lap or two.
"This is not a race like a big city marathon that you have to win. But I think everyone wants to make the team. If you ask me if I want to work really hard and try to go for first place, or do you want to make the top three, I will say that I want to make it easy for myself and try to make the top three."
From there, it's off to chase the dream one more time.
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