Marathoner to Watch: Kate DeProsperis

Kate DeProsperis, 30, of Downers Grove, put herself in the limelight with a 2:50:37 at December's California International Marathon. The strong run (1:25:00 first half) put her second in the women's 30-34 age group. It's not often we have someone locally who is close to Olympic Team Trials standards, but Kate's in the ballpark after that time. The U.S. women's standards for the 2012 Games in London are 2:39:00 for the "A" Standard and 2:46:00 for the "B" Standard. You can also run a 1:15 half-marathon or a 33:00 in the 10,000-meters. The qualifying window officially opened on Jan. 1. The men's standard for 2012 is 2:19:00, 1:05 for a half-marathon or 28:30 in the 10,000. Men have no "B" standard. Also at California, Kurt Fiene, 48, of Elmhurst ran a 2:58:33 to win the Vision Impaired Division. He paced fellow Elmhurst Running Club member Tammy Lifka, 39, of Glen Ellyn, who finished fifth in F35-39 with a 2:58:37.