Jul 29 2008
The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be Dathan Ritzenhein’s second. In Athens, he competed in the 10,000m, but he was not able to finish due to a foot injury. This time around, he is competing in the marathon.
Michigan Connection:
- Born and raised in Rockford, Michigan
- Attended Rockford High School
Birth Date:
December 30th, 1982
Olympic Events:
- 10,000m (2004)
- Marathon (2008)
Distance Running:
Ritzenhein started running when he was 11 to deal with the stress following his parents’ divorce. He didn’t get serious about it, however, until about the eighth grade when he ran four miles every day. He has since competed and made his mark in several events within the sport of distance running, including the 5,000m, 10,000m, half-marathon and marathon. Beijing will be his second Olympics. He went to Athens to compete in the 10,000m, but an injury prevented him from finishing.
Personal Information:
- Graduated from the University of Colorado in 2006 with a BA in Sociology
- Wants to go into Social Work
- Married to childhood sweetheart, Kalin Todebusch
Distance Running Highlights:
- 1999 and 2000 Foot Locker National Cross Country Champion (while still in high school)
- 2003 NCAA Cross Country Champion
- Finished second in the 2004 NCAA 5,000m Championships
- Set U.S. collegiate record in 2004 in the 10,000m
- Ran in the 2006 ING NYC Marathon, finishing 11th
- 2008 U.S. Cross Country Champion
Interesting Tidbits:
- Has a hard time forcing himself to be inactive during the “rest” days that make up part of his training regime
- Wants to be the Lance Armstrong of running
- Ran on stress fracture in the Olympic trials of 2004 and ended up breaking his foot fully
Sources:
- Ritzenhein just practicing by Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News (7/4/08)
- MSNBC.com
- USATF.org
- KidsRunning.com
- New York Road Runners website
