About 250 elite runners will compete in Houston for the chance to represent the United States at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Houston outbid the prestigious Boston and New York marathons and will host the men's and women's 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the first time a city has staged both races.

USA Track and Field CEO Doug Logan said the organization's board voted unanimously to award both races to the city and the U.S. Olympic Committee approved. He made the announcement Monday at Houston City Hall.

The races will be held Jan. 14, 2012, the day before the 40th Houston marathon. Runners will compete on a closed, multiple-lap course along Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive, with the top three men and women making the U.S. team.

Houston was picked because its fast, relatively flat course resembles that of London's Olympic marathon; the mid-January date fits with the athletes' training cycle; and it submitted “a stand-up, big-boy, adult bid,” Logan said.

Houston pledged $1.4 million to host one race, and $1.7 million to stage both. The funds, which will pay for event logistics, athlete travel and prize money, will come from corporate sponsorship, with support from the city and Harris County, Houston marathon managing director Steven Karpas said.

“This is first and foremost going to be a testing ground for our best to stand on the podium in London,” Logan said. “At the end of the day we felt this was the best course, best race management, best environment and the best time of year.”

Houston hosted the women's trials in 1992, which became memorable when Cathy O'Brien stopped just past the 15-mile mark to help rival Janis Klecker get to her feet after a fall. Both women made the team: Klecker finished first, and O'Brien was second, only 14 seconds behind her.

The Houston marathon's annual economic impact is about $30 million, but Mayor Annise Parker said her motivation for supporting the 2012 bid was the national exposure it would bring to the city.

“We know how to do something big, and it will be done cost effectively, and we will work with (USATF) to make sure we have proper levels of sponsorship here, to make it work,” she said.

Shalane Flanagan is among the 58 women who already have qualified for the trials. The 2008 Olympic 10,000-meter bronze medalist set a course record at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in January. She told Runner's World magazine Monday that she was excited about the city's selection.

“The race organizers know how to make elite athletes feel at home and to set the stage for us to compete at our highest levels,” she said. “I think the timing of the race is perfect, and I have no doubt that Houston will put on an outstanding event.”

The 2010 Houston marathon sold out in a weekend, but the annual race has yet to join the exclusive rank of marathons known to runners simply by the name of the cities where they are held, such as Boston, New York and Chicago.

Karpas hopes the Olympic Trials will change that.

“We're sending a message to the national running community that Houston is a running city,” he said.

roberta.macinnis@chron.com