Ritz out of World Cross

Several months ago, I "pleaded" for Ritz to run. Everyone said I was n.u.ts to want it... that Ritz would be n.u.ts to run, and that there wasn't much interest for him to do it.

I hope none of the disappointed posters are the same people.

CMON wrote:

Non-WC Year in Track wrote:

I'd think more highly of Ritz on the podium at WXC than with an AR that will just be broken by Rupp or Derrick or Fernandez or Verzbicas in a handful years.

Worst post ever. Verzbicas?

Even worse, he forgot someone who is going to break it THIS YEAR.

Um, ever heard of BERNARD LAGAT???

Lagat has been getting a nice stipend from Nike to not break the last remaining "white-owned record" in US track for years now.

Rush OBeckity wrote:

CMON wrote:

Worst post ever. Verzbicas?

Even worse, he forgot someone who is going to break it THIS YEAR.

Um, ever heard of BERNARD LAGAT???

Lagat ain't running a 10k this year, clown.

interesting... just pointing out some trends with positive tests...

Sept 3, 2003

The Daily Nation newspaper in Kenyan reported late yesterday that Bernard Lagat, the #2 fastest ever at 1500m tested positive for the performance enhancing drug EPO prior to the World Championships. Lagat pulled out of the World Championships with an unknown stomach ailment...

http://www.letsrun.com/2003/lagatepo.php

Dathan Ritzenhein's decision to not go to the World Cross Country Championships is merely the latest in a long line of "no-shows" from the U.S. Year after year, people qualify for the World Cross team at the U.S. Nationals but decide not to go. I think it is too bad that a race that is in theory the most competitive distance race on the planet - and that is, after all, a WORLD championship - is one that has little appeal to Americans. (In fact, it seems to have little appeal in North America, South America, Australia, and many European and Asian countries, so it's not as though the U.S. is the only country whose best distance runners skip the World Cross.)

In this non-Olympic, non-(outdoor) World Track & Field Championship year, there are three world championships: World Indoor, World Cross, and World 1/2 marathon. I can see someone preferring to choose between World Indoor and the World Cross, but deciding to skip everything altogether means that these events aren't important to those who choose not to run. Instead of having the opportunity to race the best in the world - with no rabbits, no track surface or paved road, just grass, hills, and at times some barriers to hurdle and mud to traverse - the best U.S. distance runners routinely bypass the World Cross Country Championships.

I'm more disappointed with what Ritz's decision reflects about the loss of prestige of this world championship than I am about his not being there...

WXC loses nothing with Ritz's absence, it has been great all those years that he didn't lie to the public about going. I'm not disappointed about him not going, either. I never believed his claim that he would go. Like with a lot of other top non-African runners, skipping it is the safe thing to do.

Or he has a stress fracture.

Or he has a stress fracture.

Those were supposed to be a thing of the past with the move to AlBALCO Salazar.

...Because the Mile, 3k, 2M, 5k, 15k, & 1/2 Marathon aren't held by a white guy, right? ;)

Babbit wrote:

...Because the Mile, 3k, 2M, 5k, 15k, & 1/2 Marathon aren't held by a white guy, right? ;)

and the marathon. Hall has it. Kalid is Morrocan. the dude held the Morrocan record and American at the same time....

Wrong.

Lagat don't run no 10k

Just another American runner who can't handle the miles!