Denver, June 1, 2006 � In an unexpected decision sure to stir up debate, 2004 Olympian and 2005 U.S. cross country champion Dathan Ritzenhein will make his marathon debut in November at the ING New York City Marathon, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO and ING New York City Marathon race director Mary Wittenberg. The announcement was made at a news conference during which Wittenberg presented Ritzenhein with a ceremonial ING New York City Marathon bib.
�"I want to debut in the marathon now because it is the right choice for my career," said Ritzenhein, 23. �"My main goal on November 5 will be to get in the heat of the race and see how well I can hang with the best runners in the world. The other runners will have the experience that I don't have, but I want to see how I compare against them. If I train smart and race tough, I think I can be up there."
Ritzenhein has had a strong 2006 season already with a win at the First Oregon Invitational 5000 meters (13:25.81), a second-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational (27:35.65), and a fourth-place finish in the 12K at the USA Cross Country Championships (35:27) in New York's Van Cortlandt Park.
Stardom has been predicted for Ritzenhein since he first burst on the national scene with a win at the 1999 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. A standout at the University of Colorado, Ritzenhein was a four-time Big 12 champion and four-time NCAA All-American, and set the U.S. collegiate 10,000-meter mark of 27:38.50 on the track in 2004. Turning pro after the 2004 Olympics, he went on to score impressive victories in 2005 at the Belfast International Cross Country in Northern Ireland and the USA Cross Country Championships 12K.
�"Dathan's decision to run in New York sets up one of the most anticipated marathon debuts by an American ever," said Wittenberg. �"We salute him for taking such a bold step at this point in his career, and we're confident we'll see a spectacular showing from him."
Ritzenhein is the first professional athlete announced for the ING New York City Marathon 2006, one of five events in the World Marathon Majors Series. The WMM also includes the Boston Marathon, the Flora London Marathon, the BMW Berlin-Marathon, and the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
�"The ING New York City Marathon is the place to do something special," said Ritzenhein. �"If I do as well as I think I can, hopefully that will contribute to the momentum that is already driving American distance running to a new level."
New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners, soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and Web site support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of 60, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRR's home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the world's top professional runners. Our youth programs provide running to 12,000 New York City schoolchildren who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.
ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races, drawing more than 85,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $500,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and 260 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the 672,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.
