Fanelli ruru eru maka ịgba ọsọ marathon na United States Olympic Trials na Buffalo, New York nke e mere na May 24, 1980. N'iji uwe elu nke na-agụ "The Road to Moscow Ends Here" iji mee ngagharị iwe megide mmachibido iwu ndị America nke Egwuregwu Olimpik nke Oge Ezumike, ọ gbagoro n'ihu na mbido ma site na kilomita 11 agbatịwo ụzọ ya n'elu mkpọ ahụ ruo 150 yards. Fanelli gafere ọkara ụzọ na 1:04:39, mana malitere ibelata mgbe ọ na-eti mkpu, "ọnyá na ụkwụ aka ekpe m!" Ọ nọgidere na-edu ndú ruo kilomita iri na ise tupu ọ daa azụ ma mechaa n'ọnọdụ 22 (2: 16:49). Fanelli kwuru na ọ na-agba ọsọ ọsọ ọsọ nke mere na ndị Amerịka atọ ahụ, Tony Sandoval, Benji Durden, na Kyle Heffner ndị gbara ọsọ n'okpuru 2:11:00 n'ọsọ ahụ, ga-enwe oge ka mma karịa onye ga-emecha bụrụ onye mmeri Olimpik, Waldemar Cierpinski nke East Germany onye gbara ọsọ 2:11:03 na Moscow
Ọ dị mma.