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Full Circle...

Friday, 10 January 2020 23:10

By Guy Limbeck (postbulletin.com)

Rochester's Ruth Brennan Morrey didn't get to indulge too much over the holidays. That's because she was in training, like she has been virtually her entire adult life.

The former professional triathlete was also recovering and celebrating from a recent marathon that earned her a spot in the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials.
The 44-year-old qualified during the California International Marathon on Dec. 8. The women's standard to qualify, within a two-year window of the Olympics, is two hours and 45 minutes. Brennan Morrey had a time of 2:43.41.

"It was super exciting because it was a goal of mine for the last two years since I retired from triathlon," Brennan Morrey said. "It was just a goal that was pretty special as it was the 20-year anniversary of when I qualified for the first time." ....

Brennan Morrey had previously qualified for the marathon Olympic Trials in 2000.
"I thought it would be a fun thing to be back," she said.

It also marks a near full circle of Brennan Morrey's stellar athlete career. After graduating from Mayo in 1994, she went on to play Division I soccer at Wisconsin before later excelling as a professional ironman triathlete.

The Olympic Trials will be held in Atlanta on Feb. 29. Nearly 500 women have qualified and the top three finishers will earn U.S. Olympic berths for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.