With a clean breakaway just ahead of 20 miles, 33-year-old Galen Rupp dominated the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday in Atlanta to win his second straight title in the event.

Rupp took a three-second lead at the 20 mile mark and turned it into 17 seconds just one mile later by splitting 4:52. At 22 miles, the man with the fastest PB in the field by over a minute had put nearly 30 seconds of buffer on his competitors. That margin continued to grow until Rupp broke the tape at 2:09.20.

Galen Rupp wins the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:09:20, Jacob Riley and Abdi Abdirahman join him as Olympians! #MarathonTrials20 pic.twitter.com/JL2NcD75Tg

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) February 29, 2020

With the win, Rupp became the first man to repeat at the Trials since Frank Shorter did so in 1976.

Behind the champion, a thrilling race for the final two spots to Tokyo unfolded between unsponsored Jacob Riley, 43-year-old Abdi Abdirahman and U.S. Army’s Leonard Korir in the race's final meters. Riley (2:10:02) and Abdirahman (2:10:03) held on for the final two spots as Korir (2:10:06) couldn’t quite catch up in the last few strides before the finish. Abdirahman became the oldest U.S. Olympic marathoner in history on Saturday.

Unsponsored Jacob Riley is an Olympian! 43-year-old Abdi Abdirahman makes his 5th team and is the oldest U.S. T&F Olympian ever! #MarathonTrials20 pic.twitter.com/n7W9dxQ2Mr

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) February 29, 2020

Rupp waited to assert his will on the race until around 16 miles, at which point early leader Brian Shrader— who led by as much as 36 seconds at 14 miles— quickly fell back and dropped out shortly after. A series of surges followed before Rupp took control for good with 10 kilometers to go.

Rupp qualified for his fourth Olympic team despite entering the race with question marks around his health. Before Saturday, he hadn’t finished a marathon since October of 2018.

Aliphine Tuliamuk won a women’s race that completely upended pre-race predictions. Tuliamuk, who became an American citizen in 2016, ran 2:27:23 to make her first Olympic team. Molly Seidel, the 25-year-old running her first marathon, stuck with Tuliamuk for most of the race before placing second in 2:27:31. Seidel is the first woman to make a U.S. Olympic team in her debut marathon.

Sally Kipyego, who won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics when she represented Kenya in the 10,00m, took third in 2:28:52. Kipyego became an American citizen in 2017.

The three moved away from the lead pack at in the 21st mile, quickly gaining separation from a cohesive group that formed early in the race. In the 22nd mile, Seidel and Tuliamuk pushed ahead of Kipyego, and ran stride until Tuliamuk went ahead of Seidel with two miles remaining. 

Des Linden ran 2:29:03 to place fourth. Her late push was not enough to catch Kipyego. 

The race took its toll on the favorites. Jordan Hasay fell off the lead group in the 13th mile and placed 26th. Molly Huddle and Emily Sisson lost contact in the 21st mile. Neither woman finished the race.