After racing just once in 2014, Dathan Ritzenhein has already equaled that total in 2015. The 32-year-old returned to the cross country course for the first time in nearly two years on Tuesday, winning the Campaccio 10k in Milan, Italy in 29:08. Ritz stayed with the leaders until the very end of the race, when he was able to surge past Italy’s Andrea Lalli shortly before the line. Lalli was 2nd in 29:09 and fellow Italian Danielle Meucci 3rd in 29:23. 

 

This race marks Ritz’s first time competing since August 2014 after an ankle injury kept him from his usual fall marathon plans. That injury flared up in September shortly before he was scheduled to run the Philadelphia Half Marathon, and ultimately led the three-time Olympian to scrap the rest of his season. Ritzenhein had missed time earlier in 2014 due to a sports hernia that forced him to withdraw from April’s Boston Marathon. 

 

2014 was a transition year for one of America’s top marathoners. Ritzenhein moved back home to Grand Rapids, Michigan in June after spending seven years training and living in Portland, Oregon. The former American record holder in the 5k spent five of those years training with the Nike Oregon Project, a group that Ritzenhein parted with upon moving. Ritz is still being coached by Alberto Salazar, but the iconic skull logo that adorns NOP gear is no longer a part of his race kit. As well as training full-time in Grand Rapids, Ritzenhein also worked as an assistant coach this fall for Grand Valley State. 

 

Ritzenhein will have a quick turnaround after today’s race, as he will head to Scotland to compete in Saturday’s Great Edinburgh XCountry race. There, Ritzenhein is slated to run the elite 4k against a loaded field that includes fellow American Bernard Lagat and a strong group of Kenyans, among them 1500m studs Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat. American Garrett Heath was the surprise champion in 2013, and will look to repeat as champion.