U.S. Men’s Trials at Low Point : Marathon: Only 10 in today’s field of 111 have met the Olympic qualifying standard.

On the eve of the U.S. men’s Olympic marathon trials, which will be run here today, many of the top American male distance runners felt on trial at a news conference Friday.

The runners were besieged with questions about the United States’ apparent decline in the marathon, an event that American men once dominated. Since the last Olympic Games in 1988, only four American male marathoners have been ranked in the top 50 in the world. The 1988 Olympics were a disaster; Pete Pfitzinger was 14th, Ed Eyestone was 29th and Mark Conover dropped out.

The men suffer from comparisons to U.S. women, who have four ranked in the world’s top 10.

In fact, so weak are the Americans at this event, that The Athletics Congress, which governs U.S. track and field, petitioned the International Olympic Committee to lower the Olympic qualifying standard. That hasn’t happened.

TAC did the same thing for the World Championships last September, when it became clear that no U.S. runner would make the qualifying standard. In that case, the standard was lowered, from 2 hours 12 minutes to 2:14.

The Olympic standard is also 2:14, but only 10 of the 111 runners who have qualified to run here have run that fast. Officially, the top three finishers in today’s race should make the U.S. Olympic team. But then again, maybe not.

Under the Olympic rules, a nation may send up to three runners, provided they have met the Olympic standard. If no athlete reaches the standard, a nation may send one athlete.

Race officials acknowledged Friday that it was “entirely possible” that the top three finishers might not either run 2:14 today or have run the time in the last two years, as required in the eligibility rules. In that case, officials said, they would then disregard the protocol of the top three automatically making the team and would continue down the results sheet until they found three marathoners who met the standard, even if they were in 20th place or 50th place.

That announcement at the news conference angered some runners.

According to Don Kardong, chair of TAC’s men’s long-distance racing committee, the decision to select only Olympic qualifiers was made so that the United States could be represented by three athletes.

The question will be rendered moot if the top three finish better than 2:14, a reasonable expectation. Even in high heat and humidity here, most runners are predicting a winning time of about 2:12.

The field is considered wide open, with six or seven runners capable of winning. The fastest time belongs to Ken Martin, in 2:12:06. Martin trains at altitude in New Mexico and, as a former steeplechaser, has excellent speed.

Steve Spence has borne the burden of high expectations for American men, having surprised the running world with his third-place finish at the World Championships. “I’m as ready as I can be,” he said. “If I don’t make the team, there’s not much more I could have done.”

Eyestone has been consistent and is experienced. Bob Kempainen, who has run only one marathon, is another contender. The former track runner has a time of 2:12:12, but his lack of experience makes him a question mark.

Eyestone echoed the thoughts of others, who had bristled at the suggestion that the American men are going through a slump.

“Time is one thing, performance is another,” he said. “It’s difficult to find a fast course and good race conditions in the United States. To do that you have to go to Rotterdam or Japan.

“I don’t think Americans understand. Steve (Spence) should have taken the monkey off our backs (in Tokyo). He stepped up with the big boys and kicked butt.”

Eyestone suggested that while today’s times might not reflect the talent the United States has--Olympic trials races are typically tactical affairs--the time will come.

“You’ll see,” he said.