Hansons-Brooks Athlete Desi Davila

“American Almost Wins Boston Marathon!” read a headline after Hansons-Brooks athlete Desi Davila had come within seconds of winning the Boston Marathon. Caroline Kilel won Boston in 2:22:36 with Desi a mere 2 seconds behind her.

U.S. Favorite Desi Davila

Now, with the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials less than three weeks away, Desi is determined to run her best at the trials. In New York City in 2007, Brian Sell was the first Hansons-Brooks athlete to make the U.S. Olympic team, and Desi is a huge favorite to become the second. ”It’s not how fast you are,” said Desi about the race, “It’s how fast you are after 20 miles.”

We partnered with Flotrack in order to document the blood, sweat, tears, and determination of the Hansons-Brooks athletes as they prepare for the trials. Starting on Jan. 2, Flotrack.org will feature a new video on the Hansons-Brooks team every other day until the trials. Below is the introductory video to the series.

The Trials will be held in Houston, TX on Jan. 14. On that day, several hundred of the United State’s fastest athletes will stand on the same starting line. The gun will go off and the first three men and three women to cross the finish line will represent the U.S. in London at the Olympics. The Hansons-Brooks team has 13 athletes who have qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials. These athletes have been training together in Michigan as an elite, post collegiate group.For these athletes, this is truly the race of their lives. For more videos on Brooks athletes, subscribe to the Brooks Running YouTube channel.