Weitzel (2:11:44) and Mastandrea (2:14:01) Run Huge PBs at California International Marathon to Qualify for 2028 USA Olympic Team Marathon Trials

Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Jason Weitzel and Jack Mastandrea both ran huge personal bests on Sunday morning in the California International Marathon in Sacramento, CA to qualify for the 2028 USA Olympic Team Marathon Trials. 

Weitzel ran much of the race with a pack of approximately ten, all in their quest of a top finish in this 2025 USATF Marathon Championship. He passed halfway in a quick 1:05:13 and 30K at 1:32:42 (4:58 per mile pace). Although slowing slightly over the final 5K Jason cut a whopping 2 minutes and 44 seconds from his previous best (2025 Grandma's Marathon). His finishing time of 2:11:44 (5:02 pace) is also the world best for a marathon by a Type I Diabetic. He also earned $750 for his ninth place and another bonus for qualifying for the Olympic Trials. 

Top Ten Finishers in USATF Championships. Jason Weitzel (9th place) second from left.

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Jack's assignment was to safely qualify for the OTs which would require a sub-2:16:00, so he ran with a huge pack of aspiring qualifiers and passed halfway in 1:07:32 (2:15:04 marathon pace). After clocking 1:51:47 at 35K, he was able to increase his pace over the final 7.2K to cut 1:56 from his previous PB and finish in 2:14:01. He moved up in the placings considerably over that final stretch to place 19th overall--the same position as last year, when he ran his previous best of 2:15:57. 

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Now 2X USA Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifiers Jack and Jason post race.

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Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is well into its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program developed and produced one participant for the 2024 Olympic Games marathon in Paris; four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles; one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in Lima, Peru; three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA; one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase in Eugene, OR;  three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL and currently two for the 2028 Olympic Trials Marathon. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE  produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year and recently had the top two ranked South Carolina road racers for 2024.

​The program is sponsored and supported by the 53-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​