Angela Bizzari, left, and Jen Rhines run along a quiet road near Mammoth Lakes. Training at an altitude of 7,800 feet helps athletes produce more oxygen-carrying blood cells, boosting endurance at lower elevations. Like London: under 100 feet. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Olympic medal winner Meb Keflezighi runs along a dirt path during a workout near Mammoth Lakes recently. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Meb Keflezighi, who won a silver medal in the Athens Olympics marathon, prepares for a workout. “The scenery is amazing,” Keflezighi says. “Sometimes you just say ‘wow.’” (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Olympic medal winner Meb Keflezighi runs along a quiet road near Mammoth Lakes recently while training for the 2012 Olympic Marathon. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Morgan Uceny, the world’s top-ranked woman at 1,500 meters, sprints up a hill in Mammoth Lakes during a workout. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Morgan Uceny started training in Mammoth Lakes on a partner’s advice and is a favorite heading into the Olympic trials. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A member of the Mammoth Track Club prepares for a run in the snow-covered Mammoth Lakes area. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Angela Bizzarri, left, and Jen Rhines sprint along a quiet road in the high elevation near Mammoth Lakes recently. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
