Denver Post Olympics writer John Meyer interviewed former University of Colorado distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein Thursday after a press conference in Denver announcing that Ritzenhein would make his eagerly-awaited marathon debut in New York on Nov. 5. Ritzenhein, who ran the 10,000 meters in the 2004 Athens Olympics, is considered one of America’s most talented young runners.
DENVER POST: It wouldn’t be fair for someone to call you a favorite in your first marathon against an experienced, world-class field, at age 23. What kind of goals do you have for New York?
RITZENHEIN: It would be a highlight in my career to win the New York City Marathon. I know that at the age of 23, it’s not the end of the world, but it could be a defining moment and a step up to the next level if I was to do that. There’s a lot of victims of the marathon, so I need to be smart, but I run better in a race where I can just compete and not think about anything other than finishing as high as possible. If I can get in there and compete, I think I can be right up there.
DENVER POST: You had problems with injuries at CU and the past two summers. Do you think the marathon actually will take less toll on your body than track, because there will be less high-intensity, fast-pace speed work?
RITZENHEIN: Absolutely. I think that’s one thing we’ve learned. It’s a fine line for me. It’s hard for me to recover from that stuff, and that’s where my injuries have always come, in that part of the season where I’m starting to really crank it up – either short, fast races or short, fast workouts. We’ve tried to evolve over the last two years into more longer, (lactate) threshold-type training. I think it’s less draining on the body. I’ve always handled (high-mileage) volume well. I think it will be the same for the marathon, and hopefully the base I get out of this will make me stronger for the following track season as well.
DENVER POST: Americans Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi won medals in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and a lot of people believe the marathon remains the best chance for Americans to win medals at the Olympics and world championships for a variety of reasons. Among the theories out there is that foreign competitors are less likely to use illegal performance-enhancing drugs in the marathon, making it easier for Americans to compete. Do you agree?
RITZENHEIN: Definitely. I like to think not as many people are doing things illegally, but there’s a lot of scientific reasons, too. I think the training has been figured out a little better for non-Africans to get up there. A European won the Olympics (marathon). It’s a race where you can out-fox some people if you run smart and you train smart.
DENVER POST: You had a sensational 10,000-meter race at Stanford April 30 with the standout miler Alan Webb, who came out of high school the same year you did and was, like you, highly touted. He ran 27:34.72 and you were right behind him with a PR of 27:35.65. Talk about that race.
RITZENHEIN: It was very fun. To have Alan there made a big difference. I could not have run that fast otherwise. I didn’t think I would be able to close in 61 seconds (for 400 meters), and I wouldn’t have been able to if he hadn’t been there. It was like a synergistic thing. Neither of us wanted to lose to the other one. That was the best way for both of us to run fast.
DENVER POST: He’s a middle-distance runner and you’re a long distance guy. Both of you are considered great hopes for the future of American running. What kind of relationship do you have with him?
RITZENHEIN: It’s a mutual respect. In this sport you see each other a lot. We can sit down and talk to each other. It’s not like a lot of sports where you hate each other’s guts. That’s something that’s unique to track and field.
DENVER POST: When you were at CU you said your goal was to become the best American distance runner ever. Is that still your goal?
RITZENHEIN: It’s something I hope for, but it’s not something where you can do one thing and have it happen. I just have to look for points in my career that are outstanding and set me apart. Hopefully something like winning the ING New York City Marathon would be that. Hopefully my career keeps going in that direction so people can look back in 20 years and say, wow, he’s accomplished all these things, he’s up there with all these other guys.
