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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

Injury Forces Ritzenhein Out of Healthy Kidney 10-K

Posted May 8th, 2008 at 3:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

Defending champion and event record holder Dathan Ritzenhein has been forced to withdraw from the 4th annual Healthy Kidney 10-K scheduled for Saturday, May 17, in New York City.

“We’re very disappointed not to be able to return to New York for the Healthy Kidney 10-K,” Ritzenhein told reporters on a conference call today hosted by the New York Road Runners, the founders and organizers of the race. “With a whole array of ailments, it hasn’t come together in time for me to take on the great field that’s been assembled for the race. Knowing that it might set back my preparation [for Beijing], it was with regret that we made the decision to withdraw.”

Ritzenhein, 25, of Eugene, Ore., said that the injury to the third metatarsal of his left foot, which he sustained at the USA Cross Country Championships in February, has persisted.
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Short of Conditioning, Keflezeghi Withdraws from London Marathon

Posted March 18th, 2008 at 11:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Short of conditioning, reigning Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi of San Diego, Calif., has withdrawn from next month’s Flora London Marathon. In a statement released by his brother and manager, Merhawi, the man who has twice made the podium of the ING New York City Marathon confirmed what had been rumored for several weeks.

“Meb Keflezighi has decided to pass up on the 2008 Flora London Marathon,” read the statement. “Meb is short of the conditioning he and Coach Bob Larsen would like before racing in one of the finest and competitive marathons in the world. Meb and Coach Larsen feel it would be too risky to rush the workouts in preparation for London, during an Olympic year. While Meb is disappointed he will not have a chance to set a significant personal best in London, he realizes it is better to be cautious during the Olympic year. Meb will now give his complete focus on preparing for the USATF Olympic Trials.”
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Injury Forces Ritzenhein Out of Central Park Challenge

Posted March 12th, 2008 at 1:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

A foot injury has forced Dathan Ritzenhein out of Saturday’s Central Park Challenge, incorporating the U.S. Men’s 8-K Championship, the New York Road Runners announced.

Ritzenhein, the 25 year-old who placed second at last year’s Olympic Trials marathon in Central Park, is no doubt disappointed that he cannot race Alan Webb, one of the few opportunities he would have to face the U.S. mile record-holder in a road race. The injury, to the third metatarsal on his left foot, warrants extra caution, given that this is an Olympic year.
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Haile Gebrselassie Out of Olympic Marathon

Posted March 11th, 2008 at 2:15 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

The news of Haile Gebrselassie withdrawing from the Olympic Marathon in Beijing broke while your editor was flying home from Spain. He told Reuters he’s very concerned about the air quality there, especially because he has exercised-induced asthma.

The New York Times picked up the story here (The link has been shortened): http://tinyurl.com/2papl4

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Injury Sidelines Radcliffe From London Marathon

Posted March 6th, 2008 at 11:01 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons

A toe tendon injury has forced Briton Paula Radcliffe to pull out of next month’s Flora London Marathon, organizers announced today.

The world record holder in the marathon, who was aiming to win her fourth London title on April 13, sustained the injury to her right toe while training at her base in Albuquerque, N.M.

“I am desperately disappointed that I have to pull out of this year’s race,” said Radcliffe, who was Flora London Marathon champion in 2002, 2003 and 2005, in a press release. “I love running in London and this race would have been the perfect test for me before the Olympic Games.”
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Hladyr & Wanjiru Withdraw from ING NYC Marathon

Posted October 4th, 2007 at 6:55 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Two key athletes who had been contracted to run the 2007 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 4, have withdrawn from the race, according to the New York Road Runners, the race founders and organizers.

Tetyana Hladyr of Ukraine, the surprise second place finisher in last year’s women’s race, has been forced to quit the field due to a foot injury which will require surgery, according to her agent Andrey Baranov. Her husband, Aleksandr Kuzin, still remains in the field, however. He set a personal best of 2:07:33 in a solo run in Linz last April.

Also out of the race is the world record holder in the half-marathon, Samuel Wanjiru. Wanjiru, who runs for a Japanese corporate team, decided to postpone his debut because of unspecified difficulties with his preparations, according to his agent, Federico Rosa.
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Two Elites Drop Out of New York City Marathon

Posted October 4th, 2007 at 10:41 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Previously announced entrants Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya and Tatiana Hladyr of the Ukraine will not compete in the ING New York City Marathon 2007 on Sunday, November 4, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Wanjiru, the half-marathon world record-holder, had planned to make his marathon debut in New York; however, he told race organizers he was withdrawing due to problems with his preparation. Hladyr, the runner-up in last year’s race, has a foot injury that will require surgery, according to her manager, Andrey Baranov. The surgery is planned for October 11.

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Tomescu-Dita withdraws from World Championships

Posted August 22nd, 2007 at 9:32 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Constantina Tomescu-Dita, the winner of the bronze medal in the marathon at the last IAAF World Championships in Athletics, has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming World Championships because of an injury.

The Romanian star, who runs for Asics, has been hampered for two months by tendonitis problems in her right knee, according to her manager, Brendan Reilly. After returning to Romania from her Colorado home in early August, Tomescu-Dita consulted with doctors there. Although eager to at least help her Romanian teammates to a team medal in the marathon at Osaka, her doctors strongly advised against it.
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Podcast 41: Post-London Interview with Meb Keflezighi

Posted April 23rd, 2007 at 1:55 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode 41 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my exclusive post- London Marathon interview with 2004 Olympic marathon Silver medalist Meb Keflezighi. Meb, who also joined us a few days ago for Episode 40, was an American favorite at yesterday’s London Marathon and ran among the leaders until an injury forced him to withdraw from the race.

In the interview Meb takes us through his race: from the pre-race prayers with Ryan Hall and his family - to what went wrong, trying to fight through the pain and the disappointment of being forced to withdraw in order to prevent serious injury.

Download the podcast to hear Meb discuss these topics, as well as, the effects of the warm weather; why so many other elites were forced to drop out (i.e. - Stefano Baldini [hamstring], Khalid Khannouchi [foot] and Haile Gebrselassie [breathing/chest]); the record-setting, debut performance of young teammate Ryan Hall; and turning his focus to the 2007 Olympic Marathon Trials!

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Meb Keflezighi
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 11.1 MB
Length: 00:16:10

Check out every episode of TFS’s Podcast in iTunes!

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