Ritz: "I'm probably the best American half marathoner ever,"

Let's be honest though, be the best HALF marathoner is like being the best 60m runner. It's not the real thing

Curp ran a comparable time 25 years prior. 25 years!

I would say yes its true. but its like saying im the best ever at the 15k or the best ever at the 500 meters.

60m is as real as it gets.

Nope. Hall is.

Don't forget last fall he ran another 60:12 right behind Mo on a slightly aided course.

If Estrada had run a half every 4 months, he'd be ahead.

He's just baiting Rupp.

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Quality Qontrol wrote:

He's just baiting Rupp.

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Viva la vida loca wrote:

Curp ran a comparable time 25 years prior. 25 years!

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He is either first or second. No doubt about that. He definitely focused more on the half marathon over the years than Hall did. Remember at one time he was the best American 5k runner ever!!

Definitely. Worth sub-2:10:00

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War Against Science wrote:

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Viva la vida loca wrote:

Curp ran a comparable time 25 years prior. 25 years!

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Malmo's 61:43 in 1982 must rank high on the U.S. all time list. Possibly his best running performance.

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rojo wrote:

The quote came at a press event for the River Bank Run 25K which Ritz will be running this year.

Do you think it's a true statement or not? I'd never thought about it until I read the quote but I'm inclined to say, "Yes."

Ritz has run 3 of the fastest 8 half-marathon times in history according to Track and Field News. His 60:00 also came in a championship race - the 2009 World Half Marathon Champs - where Ritz won a bronze.

All-Time US Half Marathon List According to TFN
59:43 Ryan Hall (Asics) 01/14/07
60:00 Dathan Ritzenhein (Nike) 10/11/09
60:51 Diego Estrada (Asics) 01/18/15
60:55 Mark Curp (New Balance) 09/15/85
60:57 ————Ritzenhein 09/16/12
61:00 Meb Keflezighi (Nike) 10/04/09
61:07 Abdi Abdirahman (Nike) 09/17/06
61:10 ————Ritzenhein 03/17/13
61:17 Khalid Khannouchi (unattached) 09/17/00
61:20 Galen Rupp (Nike Oregon Project) 12/13/15

http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/01/dathan_ritzenhein_to_make_long.html

TFN list here:

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=10&sex_id=M&yyear=2008

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Wtf. How can he claim to be the best American when Hall ran faster a few years before his Ritz's pr?

It is different if somebody runs nearly as fast 30 or 40 years before the current record. That is then a defensible argument. But to run slower than the American record, there is no argument to be made.

At the very least, he should be able to back it up with an Olympic medal, or something. But it's the half marathon, so that argument can't even be made. I really don't see how he can claim this. Plus it is so conceited to say that even if it is true.

Don't get me wrong, Ritz's half marathon record is fantastic. But he's only the second fastest, so second best american.

How would you feel about a half marathoner who runs a 60:00 in the year 2042? Not too impressed?

Actually, just realized he is baiting both Rupp and Hall; payback for Hall claiming to be a 2:05 marathoner.

I would say without a doubt he's the best. He's run a lot of them AND he's run several in the 60:xx range. Hall has that one outlier at 59:43 and then if you look at his others, they were always just marathon prep races and much worse than any of Ritz's top 5 races.

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Pollly P wrote:

How would you feel about a half marathoner who runs a 60:00 in the year 2042? Not too impressed?

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rojo wrote:
Ritz has run 3 of the fastest 8 half-marathon times in history according to Track and Field News. His 60:00 also came in a championship race - the 2009 World Half Marathon Champs - where Ritz won a bronze.

All-Time US Half Marathon List According to TFN
59:43 Ryan Hall (Asics) 01/14/07
60:00 Dathan Ritzenhein (Nike) 10/11/09
60:51 Diego Estrada (Asics) 01/18/15
60:55 Mark Curp (New Balance) 09/15/85
60:57 ————Ritzenhein 09/16/12
61:00 Meb Keflezighi (Nike) 10/04/09
61:07 Abdi Abdirahman (Nike) 09/17/06
61:10 ————Ritzenhein 03/17/13
61:17 Khalid Khannouchi (unattached) 09/17/00
61:20 Galen Rupp (Nike Oregon Project) 12/13/15

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