Dathan Ritzenhein en route to national cross country title No. 3 (© Kirby Lee)
Dathan Ritzenhein will return to the scene of his fastest Marathon performance when he runs the 2011 Virgin London Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 17 April.
A three-times US cross country champion, ‘Ritz’ is one of seven Americans added to an elite men’s field described as one of the best ever seen in the 30-year history of the race.
Ritzenhein joins Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru, World champion Abel Kirui and defending London champion Tsegaye Kebede in a men’s field that includes no fewer than six athletes who have run quicker than 2:05:30.
The 28-year-old, who ran his personal best of 2:10:00 in London in 2009, finished eighth in last November’s New York City Marathon and won a bronze medal at the World Half Marathon championships in Birmingham in 2009. A former US 5000m record holder, the Oregon-based athlete was also sixth in the 2009 World Championships 10,000m final.
“I am delighted to be returning to London,” said Ritzenhein, who was fourth in last year’s Great North Run.
“When I raced in London two years ago I produced my best time so I hope the strength of this field can inspire me to run another PB this year,” he said. “It will be a daunting task against such talented opponents but I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Virgin London Marathon race director David Bedford welcomed his new signings, saying, "I am delighted Dathan will be running the London Marathon again this year. We have most of the best marathon runners in the world in the line-up for 17 April and hopefully that will give ‘Ritz’ the platform he needs to improve his best time as all the athletes build towards the London Olympics next year.”
Ritzenhein will line-up alongside five compatriots, including Jason Lehmkuhle who was ninth in the Boston marathon last year, marathon debutant Stephan Shay, the younger brother of Ryan, the US international who died of a heart attack competing in the Olympic marathon trials in New York in 2007. The others are Michael Aish, Patrick Smyth and Mohamed Trafeh.
The following is a full list of the men’s and women’s elite entries for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon.
Organisers for the IAAF
Elite athletes and their best marathon times -
Men -
Tsegaye Kebede, ETH, 2:05:18
Patrick Makau, KEN, 2:04:48
Samuel Wanjiru, KEN, 2:05:10
Abel Kirui, KEN, 2:05:04
Bazu Worku, ETH, 2:05:25
Jaouad Gharib, MAR, 2:05:27
Emmanuel Mutai, KEN, 2:06:15
Viktor Röthlin, SUI, 2:07:23
Abderrahime Bouramdane, MAR, 2:07:33
Yonas Kifle, ERI, 2:07:34
José Manuel Martinez, ESP, 2:08:09
Marilson Gomes dos Santos, BRA, 2:08:37
Dathan Ritzenhein, USA, 2:10:00
Dmitry Safronov, RUS, 2:10:12,
Reid Coolsaet, CAN, 2:11:23
Eric Gillis, CAN, 2:12:08
Dylan Wykes, CAN, 2:12:39,
Cuthbert Nyasango, ZIM, 2:12:40
Jason Lehmkuhle, USA, 2:12:54
Mike Shelley, AUS, 2:13:05
Michael Aish, USA, 2:13:21
Andrew Lemoncello, GBR, 2:13:40
Collis Birmingham, AUS, Debut
Stephan Shay, USA, Debut
Patrick Smyth, USA, Debut
Mohamed Trafeh, USA, Debut
Women -
Liliya Shobukhova, RUS, 2:20:25
Zhou Chunxiu, CHN, 2:19:51
Irina Mikitenko, GER, 2:19:19
Constantina Dita, ROU, 2:21:30
Askale Tafa, ETH, 2:21:31
Inga Abitova, RUS, 2:22:19
Lornah Kiplagat, NED, 2:22:22
Aselefech Mergia, ETH, 2:22:38
Bezunesh Bekele, ETH, 2:23:09
Mara Yamauchi, GBR, 2:23:12
Bai Xue, CHN, 2:23:27
Mariya Konovalova, RUS, 2:23:50
Xiaolin Zhu, CHN, 2:23:57
Aberu Kebede, ETH, 2:23:58
Yukiko Akaba, JPN, 2:24:55
Edna Kiplagat, KEN, 2:25:38
Magdalena Lewy Boulet, USA, 2:26:22
Liz Yelling, GBR, 2:28:33
Lisa Weightman, AUS, 2:28:48 ,
Mary Keitany, KEN, 2:29:01
Fiona Docherty, NZL, 2:32:17
Tanith Maxwell, RSA, 2:32:33
Jo Pavey, GBR, Debut
Jessica Augusto, POR, Debut
Nikki Chapple, AUS, Debut
A three-times US cross country champion, ‘Ritz’ is one of seven Americans added to an elite men’s field described as one of the best ever seen in the 30-year history of the race.
Ritzenhein joins Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru, World champion Abel Kirui and defending London champion Tsegaye Kebede in a men’s field that includes no fewer than six athletes who have run quicker than 2:05:30.
The 28-year-old, who ran his personal best of 2:10:00 in London in 2009, finished eighth in last November’s New York City Marathon and won a bronze medal at the World Half Marathon championships in Birmingham in 2009. A former US 5000m record holder, the Oregon-based athlete was also sixth in the 2009 World Championships 10,000m final.
“I am delighted to be returning to London,” said Ritzenhein, who was fourth in last year’s Great North Run.
“When I raced in London two years ago I produced my best time so I hope the strength of this field can inspire me to run another PB this year,” he said. “It will be a daunting task against such talented opponents but I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Virgin London Marathon race director David Bedford welcomed his new signings, saying, "I am delighted Dathan will be running the London Marathon again this year. We have most of the best marathon runners in the world in the line-up for 17 April and hopefully that will give ‘Ritz’ the platform he needs to improve his best time as all the athletes build towards the London Olympics next year.”
Ritzenhein will line-up alongside five compatriots, including Jason Lehmkuhle who was ninth in the Boston marathon last year, marathon debutant Stephan Shay, the younger brother of Ryan, the US international who died of a heart attack competing in the Olympic marathon trials in New York in 2007. The others are Michael Aish, Patrick Smyth and Mohamed Trafeh.
The following is a full list of the men’s and women’s elite entries for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon.
Organisers for the IAAF
Elite athletes and their best marathon times -
Men -
Tsegaye Kebede, ETH, 2:05:18
Patrick Makau, KEN, 2:04:48
Samuel Wanjiru, KEN, 2:05:10
Abel Kirui, KEN, 2:05:04
Bazu Worku, ETH, 2:05:25
Jaouad Gharib, MAR, 2:05:27
Emmanuel Mutai, KEN, 2:06:15
Viktor Röthlin, SUI, 2:07:23
Abderrahime Bouramdane, MAR, 2:07:33
Yonas Kifle, ERI, 2:07:34
José Manuel Martinez, ESP, 2:08:09
Marilson Gomes dos Santos, BRA, 2:08:37
Dathan Ritzenhein, USA, 2:10:00
Dmitry Safronov, RUS, 2:10:12,
Reid Coolsaet, CAN, 2:11:23
Eric Gillis, CAN, 2:12:08
Dylan Wykes, CAN, 2:12:39,
Cuthbert Nyasango, ZIM, 2:12:40
Jason Lehmkuhle, USA, 2:12:54
Mike Shelley, AUS, 2:13:05
Michael Aish, USA, 2:13:21
Andrew Lemoncello, GBR, 2:13:40
Collis Birmingham, AUS, Debut
Stephan Shay, USA, Debut
Patrick Smyth, USA, Debut
Mohamed Trafeh, USA, Debut
Women -
Liliya Shobukhova, RUS, 2:20:25
Zhou Chunxiu, CHN, 2:19:51
Irina Mikitenko, GER, 2:19:19
Constantina Dita, ROU, 2:21:30
Askale Tafa, ETH, 2:21:31
Inga Abitova, RUS, 2:22:19
Lornah Kiplagat, NED, 2:22:22
Aselefech Mergia, ETH, 2:22:38
Bezunesh Bekele, ETH, 2:23:09
Mara Yamauchi, GBR, 2:23:12
Bai Xue, CHN, 2:23:27
Mariya Konovalova, RUS, 2:23:50
Xiaolin Zhu, CHN, 2:23:57
Aberu Kebede, ETH, 2:23:58
Yukiko Akaba, JPN, 2:24:55
Edna Kiplagat, KEN, 2:25:38
Magdalena Lewy Boulet, USA, 2:26:22
Liz Yelling, GBR, 2:28:33
Lisa Weightman, AUS, 2:28:48 ,
Mary Keitany, KEN, 2:29:01
Fiona Docherty, NZL, 2:32:17
Tanith Maxwell, RSA, 2:32:33
Jo Pavey, GBR, Debut
Jessica Augusto, POR, Debut
Nikki Chapple, AUS, Debut
