Galloway, N.J. – Former Stockton University cross country and track & field runner Christina Welsh qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon with a time of 2:33.00 at the
Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday. Welsh finished four minutes under the Olympic Trials cutoff time of 2:37.00.
Welsh finished eighth out of 2,325 female runners in the marathon and averaged a pace of 5:51 minutes per mile over the 26.2-mile course. The Chevron Houston Marathon was the first race in the qualifying window for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.
The window lasts until 60 days prior to the Olympic Trials, which are expected be held in early 2024. The 2024 Summer Olympics are slated to take place in Paris beginning on July 26 of that year.
Welsh, a native of Hamilton, N.J., is currently living in St. Petersburg, Fla. and pursuing her doctorate in Marine Science at the University of South Florida. She is doing a study on aerobic metabolism of larval fish. Last year, Welsh was one of seven co-authors of an article that was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
While at Stockton, Welsh was a four-year letter winner in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. She competed at a combined total of 71 meets, earned six NJAC all-conference accolades and recorded six individual event wins from 2014-18.
Welsh was a 2016 NJAC First Team and 2017 NJAC Second Team performer in cross country. She helped Stockton win the program's first-ever NJAC championship in cross country in 2016 by finishing seventh at the NJAC Championships.
On the track, Welsh was NJAC Honorable Mention in the 5000m for the 2017 indoor and outdoor seasons as well as NJAC Honorable Mention in the 10,000m for the 2016 and 2018 outdoor seasons. She finished third in the 5000m and fourth in the 10,000m at the 2017 NJAC Outdoor Championships to contribute to Stockton's first-ever NJAC team title in track & field.
Christina Welsh crossing finish line at Chevron Houston Marathon
