Press Release - London Marathon - 1/10/11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

          Ritz to lead US challenge at the Virgin London Marathon
		  
10 January 2011

Dathan Ritzenhein will return to the scene of his fastest marathon 
performance when he runs the 2011 Virgin London Marathon on 17 April.

A three-times US cross country champion, 'Ritz' is one of seven Americans 
added to an élite 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 2hrs 5mins 30secs.

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.

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 

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