Notes from New York City the day before the US Olympic Marathon Trials...

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong smiles as he hands out Live Strong shirts to customers at the NikeTown in New York /photo by Paul Merca

NEW YORK--Today was the last real media day in the buildup to Saturday’s US Olympic Marathon Trials and ING New York City Marathon on Sunday.

As blogged earlier, Paula Radcliffe spoke to the press this afternoon at Tavern on the Green, next to the finish line at Central Park.

Seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong made an appearance at the NikeTown near Central Park, where he handed out Live Strong shirts to NYC Marathon entrants. Armstrong is one of the 38000 that are entered in the race.

I had an opportunity to check out and run over part of the Central Park criterium course that will be used to select the US Olympic team. The rolling terrain through the park may make things interesting.

Just heard the weather forecast for Saturday, and looks like a chance of showers with temperatures in the low 50s. The part that may concern the runners, as noted in a brief conversation I had with Keith and Kevin Hanson, the coaches of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, is the wind. The wind may affect the race strategy, depending on the individuals.


Dinner tonight was in the Times Square area. It's changed considerably since I was last in the area in 1991.

We start things up at 7:30 am eastern time, with live coverage on NBCSports.com. A highlight show will be aired on NBC Sports.

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