Dathan Ritzenhein

Dathan "Ritz" Ritzenhein is a legendary American long-distance runner who held the American record in the 5,000 meter (12:56:27) in 2009-2010. He is a three-time national cross-country champion with wins at the USA Cross Country Championships in 2005, 2008 and 2010, and took home the bronze at the World Half Marathon Championship in 2009 to become the first American to medal at the event. In 2008 at the Beijing games he was the first American marathoner to cross the finish line with a time of 2:11:59. Ritz also competed in the 10,000 meter at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics, making him one of the few American distance runners to become a three-time Olympian. A fierce competitor with an aggressive running style, Ritz beat fellow American distance legends Alan Webb and Ryan Hall at the 2000 Foot Locker National High School Cross Country Championships, which some regard as the tipping point for the revival of American distance running. Ritz also holds the NCAA Cross Country Title from 2003.

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