The path to the 2004 Summer Olympics runs through Alabama this weekend and Ian Solof will be there. The University of Portland head women’s cross country/track & field coach will compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the men’s marathon on Saturday, Feb. 7. The marathon is scheduled to get going at 9:00 a.m. (CST) in Birmingham, Ala.

This will be Solof’s 10th marathon overall and second time competing at the Olympic Trials for the marathon. He finished 52nd at the Olympic Trials in Pittsburgh in 2000 and was selected as USA Track & Field of Oregon’s Male Distance Runner of the Year. He recorded his best marathon time in 2002 with a mark of 2:20:04. Competitors had to run a 2:22 or better to qualify for the Trials in Brimingham. 91 of the best U.S. male distance runners will be competing in Alabama for the three coveted Olympic team spots to the Summer Games in Athens and $271,500 in prize money.

"I am excited to run the Trials again,” Solof said. “My main goal is to improve on my finishing place from 2000, when the heat and humidity really got to me. If the conditions are conducive this year, I would love to break 2:20.”

Solof has been training up to 130 miles a week in preparation for this weekend’s Trials. “My training has gone well and I have included quite a few runs of more than 20 miles, so I feel like my endurance is the best it has been,” said Solof. “Mostly, I want to run a smart race. I don’t want to start too fast and I want to try to capitalize on other people's mistakes. Even with the pain involved in the run, I think it will be a lot of fun."

Ian Solof began coaching the Pilot women distance runners in the fall of 1995 following a stellar career as one of UP’s all-time great cross country runners. Solof’s women have won every West Coast Conference cross country title except one (2001) since 1996.

Solof’s women have won individual conference titles in four of his eight seasons as coach. The Pilot women have dominated the West Coast Conference in the five of the past six seasons posting winning scores of 23, 25, 20, 20, 39 and 25 in 2003. The team finished in 10th place at the 2002 Regionals, the Pilots best finish since 1994. He is a four-time WCC Coach of the Year pick.

During his collegiate career, Solof won the West Coast Conference title as a junior in 1992. He followed that up with all-West Region honors the same fall. Solof was a key member of the 1993 “Dream Team” that was ranked fourth nationally and went undefeated during the regular season including winning the West Region Championship. That team went on to finish 12th at the NCAA Championships.

Solof is a 1995 graduate of the University of Portland and a 1990 graduate of Ashland High School.