To qualify for the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., later this month, runners had to hit certain times in certified races.
Those races are usually abundant, dotting the elite track calendar before an Olympic year and allowing athletes plenty of opportunities to punch their ticket to Hayward Field.
These past 16 months have robbed runners of many of those opportunities.
So two former collegiate runners decided to try to fill the gaps by creating their own set of races. Not only did they help many middle-distance runners land their qualifying times, they also made their events freely accessible on YouTube, a rarity in the professional running world.