Limbo for one runner In December, Julia Roman-Duval notched a personal best and U.S. Olympic Marathon Trialsqualifying 2:40:55 at the California International Marathon. With the trials little more two months later, on Feb. 13, you could imagine how post-race elation could quickly give way to thoughts on how to recover well and build back up. RomanDuval, though, has the additional challenge of figuring out how to get her name on the list of trial qualifiers — as of press time the 33-year-old Columbia resident’s name was still missing. She is not allowed to compete. Here’s why: Roman-Duval, native to France, has been a permanent United States resident for five years, but needs to be granted citizenship to compete in the trials. She applied for citizenship in July. But due to backlogs at Baltimore’s immigration office, she has been told that her application will not be processed until March. Her requests to have the processed expedited — including by her congressional delegation, she says — have been denied. All is not lost. The USATF has a rule stating that non-U.S. citizens can gain entry into the trials if they can provide proof that citizenship will be granted before the Olympics in August. RomanDuval has sent USATF her best proof, and now the ball is in USATF’s court. As of press time, RomanDuval was still waiting for a response. “[USATF was] supposed to get back to me last week, but have not,” she says. The update should come any time now.” Roman-Duval has resided in the United States since 2006. She and her husband, who is a U.S. citizen, have three children, and as an astrophysicist, Roman-Duval is part of a team that contributes to the success of the Hubble Space Telescope. A triathlete who did not run in high school or college, she achieved solid marathon results off running just 12 miles a week, and her Howard County Striders teammates convinced her to gradually increase her mileage and intensity. Roman-Duval followed through. Thus, on her recent marathon result, Roman-Duval said: “It was a breakthrough race … but not an expected one.” McLean resident and fellow native of France Phillipe Rolly knows her frustration. As a permanent resident in 2000, he was forced to sit out of that year’s trials. He never ran the standard again.
Follow the race The race will be broadcast, streaming on NBC Sports Live Extra, Saturday Feb. 13. You can download the app or watch on a connected TV. RunWashington will be at the race posting updates about local athletes to Facebook and Twitter (@RunWashington) and Instagram (also @ RunWashington).
JULIA ROMAN-DUVAL. PHOTO BY SWIM BIKE RUN PHOTOGRAPHY
SPRING 2016 | RUNWASHINGTON.COM | RUNWASHINGTON | 47