Several British athletes will look to punch their tickets to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, later this summer when they compete at the Muller British Athletics Marathon and 20km Walk Trials on Friday, March 26. UK viewers will be able to watch a live stream of the event for free on the British Athletes official YouTube channel, while those who are outside the UK might need to use a VPN to follow the coverage.
What Time Is The British Athletics Marathon Trial
The live stream will begin at 6:00 a.m. GMT, which is 2:00 a.m. ET with the men’s and women’s 20km race walks. Following that event, the men’s and women’s marathon trial will get going at 8:00 a.m. GMT/4:00 a.m. ET and both races are expected to be wide open, especially on the men’s side, given that some of the main contenders are out.
Besides the British Athletes official YouTube channel, fans can also watch the live coverage on the BBC iPlayer, while a live update is available on the BBC Sport website and App.
Friday’s race will serve as the official trial for the Tokyo Olympic Games marathon and 20km race walk. The first two finishers in each individual trial race will earn automatic selection to represent Great Britain in Japan, so long as they hold the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:11.30.
Who Are The Ones To Watch?
With Mo Farah not competing in the marathon, the front runner to win the men’s race is Ben Connor, who has also gone inside the Olympic qualifying time. Dewi Griffiths, who has been bothered by illness and injuries in recent years will also aim for a spot on the team, along with Tom Evans, Josh Griffiths, and Chris Thompson.
Meanwhile, the women’s Olympic marathon qualifying standard is 2:29.30.
Leading the way will be Stephanie Davis, who starts as the fastest woman in the field and has already posted the Olympic qualifying standard with her time of 2:27.40 in Valencia in 2019.
Nastasha Cockram, the winner at the 2020 London Marathon, and Lily Partridge are also strong contenders for a spot on the team.
Among the women missing the trials are Jess Piasecki, Charlotte Purdue and Steph Twell.
Here is the complete Marathon and 20km Walk Competitor List
