Surprised Ritzenhein Breaks Kennedys American 5000m Record
By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
ZÜRICH (28-Aug) -- Just behind the very familiar sight of Kenenisa
Bekele kicking towards yet another 5000m victory tonight at Letzigrund
stadium there was another less familiar one.
Unfamiliar because the determined face finishing just four seconds
behind Bekeles world-leading 12:52.32 was not, according to the
standard Big Meet playbook, an African one, and unfamiliar because it
was a runner who wasnt at all expected to finish in sub-13 territory
in the first place.
I cant believe I did that! said American Dathan Ritzenhein, still
trying to come to grips with the fact that he left the Zürich track as
the new American record holder in the 5000m. With a gritty run that
left him searching for words, Ritzenhein clocked 12:56.27 to eclipse
Bob Kennedys 12:58.81 set at this meet in 1996 when Ritz wasnt yet
a teenager.
I never thought of myself as a 5-K runner, Ive always thought of
myself as a 10-K and marathon runner, he said still beaming. I might
stick around the track for a while. I still cant believe it. I never
thought it would be the 5-K. Marathon, 10-K, maybe, anything but the
5-K.
Coming on the heels of his solid sixth place finish in the 10,000m at
the world championships, the highest finish ever in that event at a
world championships by an American man, Ritzenhein knew he was in good
shape this month, which led to the decision to come to Zürich.
Just everythings going right, he said. Its not often that these
things happen, so thats why we decided to come to this race. Its not
very often that everythings clicking like this, so we thought, lets
just give it a shot.
Ritzenhein said that an assault on Kennedys mark wasnt on his agenda,
but admitted that he was bringing sub-13 ambitions to the start line.
Well, I did put it in the back of my mind, but I didnt want to go and
put myself in there and then blow up. But I wound up doing that - I put
myself in there and didnt blow up. So that was the awesome part.
Sitting in 11th position and about seven seconds behind the leaders at
the 3000 meter point, Ritzenhein began to steadily forge ahead through
the field, working his way into seventh with three laps to go. Thats
when the record entered the picture.
With four laps to go I moved into a really good spot overall, and I
looked at the clock and thought that if I could just hold it for the
last two laps, I might have a shot. And I just tried to keep that in my
mind the whole time.
Third at the bell after a series of steady 62 to 63-second laps, he
finished off the race with a lap of just over 60 seconds to reach the
line third, just a little more than a second behind Edwin Sois
12:55.03. The pairs strong finish didnt go unnoticed by the leader.
Kenenisa was hoping to run a little more relaxed tonight, said the
Ethiopians manager, Jos Hermens. But the pressure from Soi and
Ritzenhein made him run a little harder over the last lap.
Ritzenhein credits new coach Salazar, with whom hes worked for fewer
than two months, with not only his improvement, but for helping to
reignite a spark that he said was missing a few years ago.
Its brought a new life into my training, he said. I just didnt have the desire I had a few years ago.
His new regimen incorporates more speed work which Salazar and
Ritzenhein believe will ultimately make him a better, perhaps even a
great, marathoner.
I did years and years of big aerobic training with my other coaches,
and then Alberto, he just really tried to work on my speed over this
past summer. Ive been doing intervals I havent done in years. I felt
really good in the strength stuff and then the speed just started to
come.
The first indication came in the Berlin 10,000m. I knew that I was in
incredible shape after that, I knew that I was in 27-minute shape in a
flat out race. But coming into this race I didnt know how Id feel. A
10-K tends to beat you up for awhile. But we did something right in St.
Moritz because I felt great out there.
As he was for many runners of Ritzenheins generation, Kennedy was an
idol, giving Ritzenhein's accomplishment tonight a somewhat surreal
aura.
He dominated distance running in America for so long and just to be
able to get close to that, or past that, is just amazing, Ritzenhein
marveled. It was a far dream, a little bit of a pipe dream. I knew I
was in great shape. I just needed to get in that race. I just tried to
hang on and run the same pace all the way. Im so happy!
