Adam Goucher and others on this board object to the Houston announcement on the grounds that it will force marathoners to give up Fall and Spring marathons due to the January race date. Bull. Deriba Merga won Houston and won Boston three months later (smoking Ryan Hall who had not run a marathon since Beijing). And Dire Tune did the same the year before (Houston/Boston win).
No reason US elites can't run Chicago and Houston, or Houston and Boston/London if they do not make the team. If Merga and Tune can win against a stacked international field in Boston after three months rest, then American elites can win the trials against a far less competitive field after running Chicago three and a half months before.
It just shows the over pampered mentality of US elites. They think that they are always entitled to ultra perfect training conditions and always find some excuse for not performing well on the international stage. US elites need to get over it and get out there and race.