Ritz 2305

Crystal Lake Team Marathon. His team got 2nd to Hansons in 2:10 I think.

ritz is god. along with torres they are the best hope for usa distance running. go ritz!

Does anyone know where you can get full results for this race?

This is fast, but am I the only one who is not blown away by this? It is time to stop looking at this guy as a fast high schooler and more as the national class runner he has become. 24:00 is considered a fast time by most accounts, but it is still 30:00 10K pace, a time Ritzenhein could have done a year ago. You will probably see Boaz et. al run close to 23:00 on a xc course often this year.

Wasn't at the race this year, but first "5-mile leg" at Crystal Lake Team Marathon has been a little short in the past. Maybe 20 seconds or so. Still a great time from a great runner.

It may be short, I don't know. You do run up a damn mountain on a dirt trail though.

I think Ritz has ENOROMOUS potential to develop into

one of America's finest distance runners; however, its one

thing to be America's best and the world's best! The

thing I like most about Ritz is his will to compete-

but to do that internationally, he must get faster!

Hopefully he can get under 13:20 this year and move and

the 10000m once in awhile to get experience (that will

be his best distance)!

To the individual who called Ritz god, wake up my

friend do you know how many Kenyans and Ethopians teenagers

that can run 13:27 for 5000m like Ritz! Lets not bestow

those remarks on anyone, because no one is that perfect!

Prediction- Ritz best time for 5k in 2003- 13:14.75

In regards to "becoming faster" I think he's doing pretty well. He did run 3:42 this Spring and ran a nice PR for 5,000m as well. I agree w/ your points about the Africans though as they really are running fast pretty early.

just how many east african teenagers can run 1327?

seems to me ritz took quite a few of their scalps at world jr xc...

(just a little devil advocacy)

just for some info, sammy kipketer (1981) and richard limo (1980) both ran sub-13 in the 5K at ISTAF'99 in berlin. they were 18 and 19 respectively at the time. also david kilel (i think also from kenya), who is 18 (1984), has run sub-13:20 this year (http://www.iaaf.org/Results/lists/2002/outdoor/G/m/5000.html)

take the said ages of africans with a grain of salt.

Yes Ritz did do a wonderful job at World Jr and a

nice job at World Seniors; however, he is no Kenissa

Bekele who won Jrs over Ritz and then placed 2nd on the

Senior mens short course in the same year. Oh yeah,

I almost forgot he won both Senior Long and Short

Course this year! Understand I love Ritz, whom I think

someday will run sub 13 and sub 27; however, I was pointing

out to the person who called him god-that africans his

age have run faster!

i would think that 23:05 would be expected of a sub 13:30guy.

good job ritz, keep up the good work. the cu tradition continues.

Vipam wrote:

Yes Ritz did do a wonderful job at World Jr and a

nice job at World Seniors; however, he is no Kenissa

Bekele

You mean Ritz is not 25?

Bekele is obviously very talented however the age thing is BS.

Same with Boaz who's probably not a day under 30.

Pretty funny.

are there any results anywhere?

ru4real wrote:

You mean Ritz is not 25?

Bekele is obviously very talented however the age thing is BS.

Same with Boaz who\'s probably not a day under 30.

Haven\'t we established that your extreme generalizations with regard to African ages are offensive, unlearned, and incorrect?

If Boaz is 30, then he is in the downswing of his career and probably peaked a few years ago.

So, are you ALWAYS going to respond in a like manner when someone mentions what Webb or Ritz or Torres or some other American runner does? I don't think there is anyone here who thinks that just becoming the best American runner is the best that can be achieved. Give it a rest already.

km wrote:

ru4real wrote:

You mean Ritz is not 25?

Bekele is obviously very talented however the age thing is BS.

Same with Boaz who's probably not a day under 30.

Haven't we established that your extreme generalizations with regard to African ages are offensive, unlearned, and incorrect?

If Boaz is 30, then he is in the downswing of his career and probably peaked a few years ago.

The answer to your question is no. You've established nothing in the way of proof of the age of Africans. Even they admit they're not positive how old they are.