Mike Reneau -- Olympic Underdog and Marathon Hopeful

If Mike Reneau qualifies for the U.S. Marathon team this Saturday, he will be one of the best Olympic underdog stories of all time.

In Friday's Washington Post, Eli Saslow explains that Reneau only began running in 2004. That's when he signed up -- on a whim -- for a college class called "Marathon/Distance Running." Three short years later, he has a real shot at competing in the Beijing Olympics.

Only three U.S. athletes will qualify for the team, and you can watch the qualifying race in its entirety on-line (free of charge, courtesy of NBC).