Ritz's Remarkable Race in Edinburgh

Montesquieu wrote:

Oh, FW, I'm so disappointed, for you of all people should know that Ritz also had a PR in the 5,000 meters.

Flagpole Willy wrote:

anEconomist,

Don't be too hard on Ritz. It's two steps forward and one and a HALF steps back with him, but that's fine. He's still young enough for that to be fine. The progress is definitely there.

He set PRs in 2007 in the marathon, the 2 mile, and the 3,000 meters. He's continuing to improve.

You are correct in 2007 he dipped under his previous 5,000 meter PR set in 2006. That should be proof that I'm no crazy Ritzenhein fan. Runners either have what it takes to do well or they don't. He does.

As for the gap at the end, he was in the hunt until late. When he was gapped he had little incentive to run really hard in no-mans land because there was a 25 second gap between the top group and the next chaser. He might have been able to stay within 10 seconds or even 8, but what difference that or 14? The last decent had some icy terrain and he did not pound that decent, I do not think, which was wise given the pluses and minuses of doing so.

Ritz knows what he is doing. He will run to the best of his ability. If that is better or worse than your own expectations of him, so be it.

Great photos on flocast

http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/photos.php?id=196&o=0&pid=119786

How many people were in this race? All the results i've have seen only go to 7, with torres 30 seconds back with no one in between him and ritz. Were there only 7 people in this meet?