Ritz to Lead US Challenge at 2011 Virgin London Marathon

by: Virgin London Marathon
January 10, 2011

Dathan Ritzenhein will return to the scene of his fastest marathon performance when he runs the 2011 Virgin London Marathon on 17 April.

A three-times US cross country champion, ‘Ritz’ is one of seven Americans added to an élite men’s field described as one of the best ever seen in the 30-year history of the race.

Ritzenhein joins Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru, world champion Abel Kirui and defending London champion Tsegaye Kebede in a men’s field that includes no fewer than six athletes who have run quicker than 2hrs 5mins 30secs.

The 28-year-old, who ran his personal best of 2:10:00 in London in 2009, finished eighth in last November’s New York City Marathon and won a bronze medal at the world half marathon championships in Birmingham in 2009. A former US 5000m record holder, the Oregon-based athlete was also sixth in the 2009 world championships 10,000m final.

“I am delighted to be returning to London,” said Ritzenhein, who was fourth in last year’s Great North Run but withdrew from the international team challenge race at last Saturday’s Great Edinburgh Cross Country event.

“When I raced in London two years ago I produced my best time so I hope the strength of this field can inspire me to run another PB this year,” he said. “It will be a daunting task against such talented opponents but I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Virgin London Marathon race director David Bedford welcomed his new signings, saying:

“I am delighted Dathan will be running the London Marathon again this year. We have many of the best marathon runners in the world in the line-up for 17 April and hopefully that will give ‘Ritz’ the platform he needs to improve his best time as all the athletes build towards the London Olympics next year.”

Ritzenhein will line-up alongside five compatriots, including Jason Lehmkuhle who was ninth in the Boston marathon last year, marathon debutant Stephan Shay, the younger brother of Ryan, the US international who died of a heart attack competing in the Olympic marathon trials in New York in 2007. The others are Michael Aish, Patrick Smyth and Mohamed Trafeh.

The following is a full list of the men’s and women’s elite entries for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon.

Elite athletes and their best marathon times:

Men
Tsegaye Kebede	ETH	2:05:18
Patrick Makau	KEN	2:04:48
Samuel Wanjiru	KEN	2:05:10
Abel Kirui	KEN	2:05:04
Bazu Worku	ETH	2:05:25
Jaouad Gharib	MAR	2:05:27
Emmanuel Mutai	KEN	2:06:15
Viktor Röthlin	SUI	2:07:23
Abderrahime Bouramdane	MAR	2:07:33
Yonas Kifle	ERI	2:07:34
José Manuel Martinez	ESP	2:08:09
Marilson Gomes dos Santos	BRA	2:08:37
Dathan Ritzenhein	USA	2:10:00
Dmitry Safronov	RUS	2:10:12
Reid Coolsaet	CAN	2:11:23
Eric Gillis	CAN	2:12:08
Dylan Wykes	CAN	2:12:39
Cuthbert Nyasango	ZIM	2:12:40
Jason Lehmkuhle	USA	2:12:54
Mike Shelley	AUS	2:13:05
Michael Aish	USA	2:13:21
Andrew Lemoncello	GBR	2:13:40
Collis Birmingham	AUS	Debut
Stephan Shay	USA	Debut
Patrick Smyth	USA	Debut
Mohamed Trafeh	USA	Debut
Women
Liliya Shobukhova	RUS	2:20:25
Zhou Chunxiu	CHN	2:19:51
Irina Mikitenko	GER	2:19:19
Constantina Dita	ROU	2:21:30
Askale Tafa	ETH	2:21:31
Inga Abitova	RUS	2:22:19
Lornah Kiplagat	NED	2:22:22
Aselefech Mergia	ETH	2:22:38
Bezunesh Bekele	ETH	2:23:09
Mara Yamauchi	GBR	2:23:12
Bai Xue	CHN	2:23:27
Mariya Konovalova	RUS	2:23:50
Xiaolin Zhu	CHN	2:23:57
Aberu Kebede	ETH	2:23:58
Yukiko Akaba	JPN	2:24:55
Edna Kiplagat	KEN	2:25:38
Magdalena Lewy Boulet	USA	2:26:22
Liz Yelling	GBR	2:28:33
Lisa Weightman	AUS	2:28:48
Mary Keitany	KEN	2:29:01
Fiona Docherty	NZL	2:32:17
Tanith Maxwell	RSA	2:32:33
Jo Pavey	GBR	Debut
Jessica Augusto	POR	Debut
Nikki Chapple	AUS	Debut

For more news on Dathan Ritzenhein running, and an update on his training from coach Alberto Salazar click here.

On the boards: Ritz Running London

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