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Lead Stories: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Dathan Ritzenhein Named
Visa Humanitarian Athlete
of the Year

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 7:45 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Two-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein has been named Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field. Ritzenhein will be honored December 1 at the 2007 Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2007 Annual Meeting, November 28-December 2, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ritzenhein, 24, of Eugene, Oregon, earlier this year won the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York on May 19 in 20 minutes 8 seconds, breaking the Central Park course record of 28:10 set by Kenyan Paul Koech in 1997. Following the race Ritzenhein donated his winner’s earnings of $7,500 to the race beneficiary, the National Kidney Foundation. “I made a pact with myself before the race that if I’m fortunate enough to pick up this course record the least I can do is give back the first place prize money seeing as how this is professional athletics, but it’s a race for charity,” said Ritzenhein.
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Podcast 32: Interview with Susan Loken; the reigning USA Masters Marathon Champion

Posted March 29th, 2007 at 7:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Today’s podcast features my interview with Susan Loken; an ageless and elite masters marathoner.

Susan, a mother of three who first began running in her 30’s, is coming off of her third consecutive More Magazine Marathon title and is the reigning USA Masters Marathon Champion.

Her personal best time of 2:41:31 is only about two and half minutes above the Olympic qualifying A-standard time for women; a benchmark she is poised to reach in the coming months.

Download the podcast to hear Susan discuss the More Magazine Marathon; why/how she started running; finding time to train, work a full-time job and take care of her three sons; coaching the Foothills Sports Medicine Running Team; and her advice for others looking to get back in-shape and/or improve their lives through running.

Listen In
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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Susan Loken
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 7.80 MB
Length: 00:11:21

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Quote of the Day: 2/14/07

Posted February 14th, 2007 at 6:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Motivation, Famous Quotes

The Final Sprint and I wish you a very Happy Valentines Day!

In honor of this special day, I have decided to replace The Final Sprint’s standard Quote of the Day with a poem entitled: “Don’t Quit”

The author is unknown, but it was sent to me by the strongest person I know: My Mom. She is a loving mother and truly extraordinary woman who has exemplified the power of the human spirit by refusing to ever give up or lose hope. My family and I are very lucky and thankful to have her in our lives.

I hope that you all enjoy this poem as much as I have. I encourage you to pass it along to your friends and families and to read it each morning, before a big race, or whenever you might need a little inspiration.

• “Don’t Quit”

“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will.
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill.
When funds are low and the debts are high.
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about.
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.”

- Author unknown

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