RITZ TO DO 2014 BOSTON MARATHON (debut)

I'm sure he'll be training with Mo, until they split off. Maybe Lukey P is also

I'm not an expert on marathons, but Ritz has run 2:07, and the winning time last year was 2:10. Could he win?

The Boston course will destroy his legs.

"Goucher was sixth in last year's marathon, and placed third at Boston in 2009 and fifth in 2011. Goucher recently relocated to Boulder, Colorado and said her focus in the first part of 2014 is regaining her track speed."

I have always been a defender of Kara. But, this is a bit silly. She was very good, not great, on the track when she was younger. She is 35. Her track speed is not going to come back and will not be a benefit to her in the marathon. You do not hear Rita Jiptoo or Florence Kiplagat talking about how they need to regain their track speed. Kara is probably hoping for a soft 2014 USATF 10k championship field without Shalane. She is running out of good years in the marathon and should be running Boston instead of running meh times on the track this spring.

Don't forget wrote:

I'm not an expert on marathons, but Ritz has run 2:07, and the winning time last year was 2:10. Could he win?

At least your first assertion makes sense.

Oh thanks. Guessing the general consensus is no. He could still do well though.

Ritz cant take a beating which is what the Boston course is, 2:12

Precious Roy wrote:

"Goucher was sixth in last year's marathon, and placed third at Boston in 2009 and fifth in 2011. Goucher recently relocated to Boulder, Colorado and said her focus in the first part of 2014 is regaining her track speed."

I have always been a defender of Kara. But, this is a bit silly. She was very good, not great, on the track when she was younger. She is 35. Her track speed is not going to come back and will not be a benefit to her in the marathon. You do not hear Rita Jiptoo or Florence Kiplagat talking about how they need to regain their track speed. Kara is probably hoping for a soft 2014 USATF 10k championship field without Shalane. She is running out of good years in the marathon and should be running Boston instead of running meh times on the track this spring.

not necessarily mutually exclusive. KG probably feels that pure marathon training just hasn't been that great for her. She has been hurt a lot and just did ok at the OG.

On the other hand, she ran what - 2:25 at boston and challenged for the lead before she had years of marathon training in her legs.

maybe she feels doing some faster shorter work in the spring and summer will get her in better shape for a fall marathon.

No goucher... No hall. Ritz 2:07 low

https://twitter.com/djritzenhein

2:08:37

Really solid field of Americans. I'll be rooting for Davila to be back strong on the women's side.

The year she challenged for the lead was in 2009 where the first 20 miles were painfully slow. She ran 2:32 for third. 2011 she got her doors blown off but ran 2:24 and last years she was kind of in it and ran 2:27. She's good but not great in either the 10K or the marathon.

Track Fan 1979 wrote:

The year she challenged for the lead was in 2009 where the first 20 miles were painfully slow. She ran 2:32 for third. 2011 she got her doors blown off but ran 2:24 and last years she was kind of in it and ran 2:27. She's good but not great in either the 10K or the marathon.

right - i was combining memories. she ran 2:25 at NYC in her debut, without all those years of marathion training in her legs.

Just looked this up and it supports the speed is good for KG:

in August 2008 she prd at 10k: 30:55. In november 2008 she ran 2:25 at NYC.

no doubt she is trying to recreate that kind of fitness, and might feel that strict marathon training is wrong for her.

Don't forget wrote:

I'm not an expert on marathons, but Ritz has run 2:07, and the winning time last year was 2:10. Could he win?

Ritz is one heck of a runner and given his injuries that he has overcome, he is pretty resilient/tough too. He'll need that.

But a 2:07 on a flat time-trial like course (London, Chicago, Olympic Trials) is a lot different a race than the New York and Boston marathons. The races Ritz has run allow for runners to start off at a hard pace and just hold on. Some runners, like Deena Kastor, were great with that race and ran poorly when it came to starting off slower and not really 'racing' until about 30K in, which is what typically happens in Boston and New York.

I recognize some years are different, case in point - Ryan Hall taking off from the gun in Boston in 2011(?) .. But if we look at the standard Boston race, the runners work their way to about 16-18 miles and then whoever is left starts to really work the course.

Ritz has the talent to be a top runner in Boston, but assuming that some of the prior Kenyan/Ethiopian runners return, I would put his chances at 1 in a 100 at best.

Meb is returning and assuming he has a healthy training cycle - I'd say Meb beats Ritz in the race.

he has had injury problems, but if he can get to the starting line at boston healthy, i think his strong cross country background will help him immensely on the boston course.

I've not a bit of faith in Ritz.... DNS or DNF; talks about retirement.

douglas burke wrote:

he has had injury problems, but if he can get to the starting line at boston healthy, i think his strong cross country background will help him immensely on the boston course.

With a hurricane at his back, 2:03 is possible.

Stupid race, lots of $$$

Kara has realized that she needs to be in her sharpest shape and hope the race is tactical.

She is not good enough to win a fast 10k or a fast Marathon so she needs to be in her best 5 and 10 shape and gamble that nobody else is.