Shortly after the news that St. Louis has submitted a bid to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, we were informed that Phoenix has submitted a bid of its own.

The bid is co-authored by Brooksee Race Productions CEO Phil Dumontet and Phoenix Sports and Events Commission executive director Joel Koester. The City of Phoenix and the office of Mayor Kate Gallego have also expressed their support for the bid.

Phoenix has never hosted the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Last month, the city hosted its inaugural Phoenix Marathon which saw more than 7,200 participants across the marathon, half marathon and 10K distance.

The 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials are set to be contested on March 25th or 26th, 2028. The top three men and women, who meet the World Athletics and Olympic qualifying ranking/standards (which have yet to be released), will qualify for the U.S. Olympic team competing in Los Angeles.

To learn more about Phoenix’s bid for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, we spoke with Dumontet. The following has been edited lightly for clarity.

CITIUS MAG: Why bid for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials?

Phil Dumontet: At a high level, a well-executed Olympic Trials elevates the entire sport. That’s really what our passion is: to lift up the sport. We have the experience to execute at that level here at Brooksee, and we found an ideal city partner in Phoenix to bring it to life. When this opportunity came up, we immediately knew we wanted to be involved.

Looking across our portfolio—and just to give a bit of background on Brooksee—we’ve spent more than 12 years producing national-level endurance events. We’ve produced over 1,300 events in our history, served more than 1.1 million athletes and work with about 60,000 participants annually. Our portfolio includes the Phoenix Marathon, Mesa Marathon, Portland Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, and the Rebel Race Series.

When this opportunity came up, I started looking across our portfolio to identify strong city partners. We’ve been investing heavily in the Phoenix market—especially with the Mesa Marathon and now with the launch of the Phoenix Marathon, which was the first-ever Phoenix Marathon. That took place on December 13, 2025 and we launched it with 7,200 registrants, which we were really excited about.

Through these events, we’ve built strong, trusted relationships with the City of Phoenix, Visit Phoenix, and local public safety and operations partners. We’re going all-in on the Valley, and we really see this bid as an extension of that commitment and an opportunity to leverage our operational experience on a national stage and showcase Phoenix at one of the most important moments in U.S. distance running. That’s where the interest came from in putting this bid together for 2028.

CITIUS MAG: The storyline around cities bidding for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in recent years (Atlanta and Orlando) has really centered on the financial burden and the scale of an event like this, along with concerns about the level of support from USATF or the USOPC. How are you thinking about making this work financially?

Phil Dumontet: That’s a great question. I obviously can’t speak to past hosts, but for us, the vision is to create a complete championship weekend—one of the most exciting weekends of the year, not just a single race.

What we’ve proposed to USATF is a mass-participation event the day before the Trials, integrated with the Phoenix Marathon. The idea is to create a really spectator-friendly, energetic downtown atmosphere that engages fans and the broader running community.

Specifically, we would move the Phoenix Marathon from its December date in 2028 to Saturday, March 25, so it serves as the “people’s race.” The Trials would remain the centerpiece of the weekend on Sunday, March 26. We would keep the Phoenix Marathon on its traditional December date in 2026 and 2027 and then move it up for the Trials year to create a truly exciting championship weekend.

That approach factors directly into the investment required to bring the weekend to life. I’d also add that the City of Phoenix and Visit Phoenix have been supportive from Day 1. From the first time I pitched the idea, they’ve been on board and their financial support has been a key factor in allowing us to move forward with the bid.

CITIUS MAG: What are you envisioning for the course?

Phil Dumontet: It would be completely different from the Phoenix Marathon course we ran in December. The proposed Trials course would be a looped course, in line with USATF requirements, and designed to showcase the best of downtown Phoenix. It’s still early in the process, so I can’t get too specific yet, but as proposed, the course would start and finish at Hance Park. The goal is to highlight Phoenix as an exceptional city by showcasing the downtown core, desert landscapes and what makes it a world-class destination.

CITIUS MAG: Atlanta was super hilly. Orlando was warm, flat, and fast. How would you categorize a Phoenix course on a late-March day in 2028?

Phil Dumontet: It’s Phoenix, so while the weather is never completely predictable, late March typically brings cool mornings, low humidity, and fairly reliable racing conditions. The course would be fast and fair. Phoenix isn’t a hilly city, and we’ve designed a spectator-friendly route with some really exciting corridors that would engage fans throughout the race.

From an athlete perspective, we focus on what matters most: predictable weather, a fair course, and a championship-ready setup in a city that knows how to host major events. Phoenix checks those boxes. It’s a proven host with events like the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four.

Beyond that, the infrastructure is there with over 70,000 hotel rooms across Greater Phoenix, 26,000 within city limits, a major airport just 10 to 15 minutes from the start and finish, and a compact/athlete-first downtown footprint anchored by the Phoenix Convention Center. When you look at all of those factors together, it really creates the foundation for a world-class championship weekend.

At the core, it’s about putting athletes first, elevating the sport, and showcasing Phoenix on a national stage.

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