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

New
  • rojo
    cofounder
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:19pm CST
    Forum Index
    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
  • Idontreallyknow
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:22pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    Let's be honest though, be the best HALF marathoner is like being the best 60m runner. It's not the real thing
  • Viva la vida loca
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:23pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    Curp ran a comparable time 25 years prior. 25 years!
  • Hayduke
    registered
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:23pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    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.
  • jaminjamin
    registered
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:27pm CST
    re: Idontreallyknow
    Forum Index
    60m is as real as it gets.
  • Who Dat?
    registered
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:28pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    Nope. Hall is.
  • Hardloper
    registered
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:29pm CST
    re: Who Dat?
    Forum Index
    Don't forget last fall he ran another 60:12 right behind Mo on a slightly aided course.
  • Simple Solutions
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:31pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    If Estrada had run a half every 4 months, he'd be ahead.
  • Quality Qontrol
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:39pm CST
    re: Simple Solutions
    Forum Index
    He's just baiting Rupp.
  • am wondering
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:43pm CST
    re: Quality Qontrol
    Forum Index
    Quality Qontrol wrote:

    He's just baiting Rupp.

    Yep. Anyone else here he was mad as he had to lawyer up after being part of the NOP?
  • War Against Science
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:44pm CST
    re: Viva la vida loca
    Forum Index
    Viva la vida loca wrote:

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

    Malmo's 61:43 in 1982 must rank high on the U.S. all time list. Possibly his best running performance.
  • little known fact...
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:46pm CST
    re: Quality Qontrol
    Forum Index
    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!!
  • Quality Qontrol
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 3:58pm CST
    re: War Against Science
    Forum Index
    Definitely. Worth sub-2:10:00

    War Against Science wrote:

    Viva la vida loca wrote:

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

    Malmo's 61:43 in 1982 must rank high on the U.S. all time list. Possibly his best running performance.
  • Rrbras
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 4:21pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    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

    Of course KK ran 1:00:27 in 1997 and1:00:47 in 1999 before he became a U.S. citizen. KK was arguably as good as any of them at the half marathon, but it is not clear that he cared much about it.
  • Sdfsdfsdfsdf
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 4:48pm CST
    re: Rrbras
    Forum Index
    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.
  • Pollly P
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 4:52pm CST
    re: Rrbras
    Forum Index
    How would you feel about a half marathoner who runs a 60:00 in the year 2042? Not too impressed?
  • Quality Qontrol
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 4:58pm CST
    re: Sdfsdfsdfsdf
    Forum Index
    Actually, just realized he is baiting both Rupp and Hall; payback for Hall claiming to be a 2:05 marathoner.
  • different perspective
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 4:58pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    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.
  • War Against Science
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 5:03pm CST
    re: Pollly P
    Forum Index
    Pollly P wrote:

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

    Lol. Why stop there? Why not ask how I feel about 60:00 in the year 2142?

    This particular type of comment has always been a pet peeve of mine.
  • sad facts need to be said
    3 years ago 01/13/2017 5:21pm CST
    re: rojo
    Forum Index
    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

    Outdoing Hall, Meb, Khalid...

    It looks like what Ritz should actually be saying is that he is "the most under-performing American marathoner ever.

    I'll be interesting to see if he can still run near the form he had under Salazar. Probably.