"why the races aren't Saturday and Sunday and not Sunday and Monday"
It's a journalism thing, we wouldn't understand.
It is odd to have a marathon on a Monday, wonder how the ladies felt about that when they saw the date.
Is the marathon going to be a multi-loop course? Is it finishing at a landmark of some sort? Bowerman's driveway maybe?
It's three 14k loops. If it set off at a normal time then it would make sense to finish in the stadium but there'll be no one there at 8:30am. Finishing on the street means that there might be some sort of crowd at the finish line
Not an especially deep field obviously but would be happy to see Rupp get 5th. Home field advantage should help. about 60 runners total? Frank Shorter sets them off!