Kenenisa wins, Ritz sets AR at Zurich : Speakers & Interviews

I just went from 6 to 12

stop pluggin'

NIKE-CROSOFT? Are you serious? You imagine the nike training group to be a gigantic corporate monstrosity? You don't find that excessive? I agree with Chris, you guys are nuts.

matt tegenkamp just ran 12:58 on the 4th. 2 Americans under 13 minutes!

i love these announcers, so much more knowledgeable than anyone on nbc

Correction...Ritz COULDN'T BREAK 2:10 for the marathon as recently as April of of this year-(2009 London Marathon) after 6 Years of being a Pro Runner...NIKE-CROSOFT--"WE BUILD RUNNERS, ONE COMPUTER AT A TIME" :)

The effects of "Live High, Train Low" (LHTL) using Altitude Simulators are REAL...Ritz's 12:56 5k blatantly prove that point. This will cause more Elite Runners to use Altitude Simulators to LHTL because of Ritz's dramatic improvement (his previous Personal Best was 13:16)

Technology changes everything, INCLUDING RUNNING, so to stay competitive, ALL Elite runners will eventually have to use Technology in their Training, or get left behind. Americans should enjoy this TEMPORARY Technological advantage while it lasts because the East Africans will eventually use the same Technology to improve their performances.
Winning in the Future will be more about Technology than Natural Ability. For example, scientists can already manipulate Genes to improve endurance.
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2004/08/64659

Wow. Racing at its finest. He didn't panic when he was running dead last. Stuck to his plan and closed hard!!!! Awesome breakthrough for him. Should be a huge confidence builder for him to draw from in future races. I expect to see him running at another level now. His stock, not to mention Coach Alberto's, just went up big time!!!
Good going, Ritz!!!!!

Great how the commentators were clueless about it being an American record -- "Great personal best".

Way to go Ritz! I saw you run your senior year state final back in high school... you were, and still very, very fast. My buddy couldn't catch you :)
Best wishes

Precisely...Where do we draw the line between Technology and Sports ? Is sports becoming more of a Technology Competition ? If steps aren't taken to limit Technology in Sports, Nike will eventually create something like the Nike "Air Zero-Grav", which allows their runners to compete at a fraction of their bodyweight...Of course this is hypothetical, but because of the murky boundaries between Technology and Sports, it's highly probable.

You're absolutely right about Ritz being fast and tough. He got 3rd in the 2001 Jr. World XC Championships, so he DEFINITELY has the Natural Ability to contend with the World Beaters.

WOW brought tears to my eyes!
When I first started running I remember Kennedy and his 12:58! But this is a huge PR! Great things to come!

Now Im gonna go run a really hard workout! I was a bit inspired!
THANKS RITZ!!!

There is technology in the footwear, but I don't think technology diminishes what the person does on race day. The question is where do we draw the line? I think altitutude simulators are perfectly fine. It wouldn't matter if DR had pressurizers or whatever, the guy is still fast and still would have run around 13 minutes anyway, the guy is amazing regardless.

Chris, I like the conviction of your arguments...However, Ritzenhein's performance clearly shows that the MOST EFFECTIVE "Live High Train Low" (LHTL) method is to use Altitude Simulators. If your proposed "No-Tech Alternatives" are so effective, why did it take a runner, AIDED by an Altitude Simulator to break Bob Kennedy's 5k American Record ? Why didn't a runner using a "No-Tech Alternative" break it ?

The answer is that Altitude Simulators, though EXPENSIVE, are MORE EFFECTIVE & MORE PRACTICAL than physically travelling from Altitude to Sea Level to train. Since using Altitude Simulators is the BEST WAY to Live High & Train Low, it HIGHLY FAVORS PRIVILEGED athletes who currently have access to them.
But today's state of the art is tomorrow's common practice...Further stunning performances like Ritz's will prompt the rest of the world's Elite Runners to use LHTL technologies. Perhaps the cost of Altitude simulators will decrease over time like most tech gadgets,but again, this begs the question of how much Technology should be allowed in sports before it becomes a Technology Competition rather than an Athletic Competition ?
L.Y.-Michigan State Alumnus

Is Technology The New Sports: Just because I did not acknowledge your main point that there could come a point where sport is unfairly influenced by too much technology did not mean that I did not understand your point and/or agree/disagree with it. It was very clear that I disagreed with your point that East Africans are unable to replicate "Live High Train Low Technology". Furthermore it frustrates me that after I clearly laid out a real life example where I pointed out that in Boulder, CO, it is possible for any athlete to "LIve High and Train Low", you ignore my central point is that it can be made CHEAP and inexpensive. The drive from 10,000 ft. to 5,000 ft. is not very long at all in Boulder. For some reason you have the impression that a descent from high altitude has to take hours in a car. This is not always true because the right geography can be found to accommodate a quick "High to Low" altitude transfer.

Furthermore, the East African athletes who are going to attempt to replicate "Live High Train Low" benefits are going to be a part of training groups and will most certainly run in shoes provided to them and have access to a car, bicycle, or a bus to travel to lower altitudes in a short amount of time. Whether you intended to or not, painting some kind of picture in which accomplished athletes in East Africa don't have access to shoes and/or a car ride is completely crass and misinformed.

Hey Chris :) You missed my points about Technology vs. Natural Ability & Nike "Air Zero Grav". I NEVER said the NIKE Altitude Project was cheating, nor am I alleging that Ritz is a cheater...I AM asking where do we draw the line between Technology and Sports ? How much Technology is TOO MUCH Technology in Athletic Competitions ?

Technology threatens to change Athletics Competitions into TECHNOLOGY Competitions, which is not what Sports is about. The nature of Sports competitions is to determine the BEST ATHLETE, NOT which ATHLETE HAS THE BEST TECHNOLOGY. Look at those Controversial Swimsuits from the 2008 Olympics...Michael Phelps recently lost to a guy wearing a High-Tech Swimsuit...Is this the Future of sports, where the BEST ATHLETES lose to lesser athletes who have the BEST TECHNOLOGY ? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/28/michael-phelps-loses-to-g_n_246281.html
As for your point that "Live High, Train Low Technology" (LHTLT) is readily available to anyone who seeks it, I DISAGREE. Alot of East Africans don't even have shoes when they start running, let alone cars....Your point that one can rent a shack at Altitude, and drive down to Sea Level to train, proves my point that LHTLT users have to have Significant Financial Resources. Sports should be about Athletic Ability, not money and technology.

Hey Chad :) You missed my points about Technology vs. Natural Ability & Nike "Air Zero Grav". I NEVER said the NIKE Altitude Project was cheating, nor am I alleging that Ritz is a cheater...I AM asking where do we draw the line between Technology and Sports ? How much Technology is TOO MUCH Technology in Athletic Competitions ?

Technology threatens to change Athletics Competitions into TECHNOLOGY Competitions, which is not what Sports is about. The nature of Sports competitions is to determine the BEST ATHLETE, NOT which ATHLETE HAS THE BEST TECHNOLOGY. Look at those Controversial Swimsuits from the 2008 Olympics...Michael Phelps recently lost to a guy wearing a High-Tech Swimsuit...Is this the Future of sports, where the BEST ATHLETES lose to lesser athletes who have the BEST TECHNOLOGY ? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/28/michael-phelps-loses-to-g_n_246281.html
As for your point that "Live High, Train Low Technology" (LHTLT) is readily available to anyone who seeks it, I DISAGREE. Alot of East Africans don't even have shoes when they start running, let alone cars....Your point that one can rent a shack at Altitude, and drive down to Sea Level to train, proves my point that LHTLT users have to have Significant Financial Resources. Sports should be about Athletic Ability, not money and technology.

OMG! Ritz took it to them, and left everything on the track. Incredible performance.

One of my fellow shutter bugs almost got run over at the first turn. Thanks to another for pulling him off lanes.

The claim that "Live High, Train Low" methods are cheating and/or unfair is utterly absurd, especially the claim by "NEW Nike "AIR" ZERO-GRAV" that this type of training is unavailable to East Africans. First of all, the benefits of "Live High, Train Low" can be replicated on any continent and most countries. For example, one can rent a place or camp at around 10,000 feet in Boulder, Colorado, for example. Within a short drive, an athlete who lives at this 10,000 ft. altitude can arrive at under 5,000 ft. to work a job and/or train at fast paces. Anything under 5,000 ft. is not going to greatly affect your ability to train at fast paces, just ask the Lee Emmanuel and the Lobos in New Mexico. You have to be gung-ho to do this obviously, but anyone could train this way on the cheap and these opportunities are easily available in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The only thing Nike does is making living/training in this environment much much easier on their athletes, Nike is not affording an advantage that is somehow unreplicable. To even imply that Ritz's race results are even vaguely synthetic is unbelievable to me.

As for the East Africans somehow being deprived of altitudes advantages, the average altitude of Kenya, for example, is around 6,500 ft, and the Ethiopian highlands have an altitude ranging from 6,500 ft to 13,000 ft. Certainly in these countries, athletes could find living situations similar to my Boulder, CO example. As I said before, the "Live High, Train Low" method is replicable around the world, and the same applies to the East Africans. The East Africans probably don't utilize this strategy (Of course I don't know for sure if all training groups in East Africa do or do not use it) because they are ridiculously dominant. Clearly, "ZERO-GRAV" and "Natural Ability vs. Technology", you are not fully informed of opportunities available to all people, you just have to look around. As they say, "Winners find a way".

I agree with your point that Live High, Train Low technology is not "new",however, it is VERY EXPENSIVE, which limits its use to those with Wealthy Corporate Sponsors like the Nike Altitude Project Members or those with Wealthy Government Sponsors like the Norwegeian Ski team.

Use of this Technology is UNFAIR to those who don't have access to it, like many of the East Africans, so its use will eventually tilt the playing field heavily in favor or those privileged enough to use it. (you did say the Nordic Ski team cleaned up the Olympic Medals after using Live High, Train Low Technology)
This begs the question of how much Technology is TOO Much Technology in Sports ? Think of the controversial "Hi-Tech Swim Suits" from the 2008 Olympics, or Overly "Springy" Drivers in Golf. It threatens to turn Sports into a competition of "Who has the Better Technology" rather than who is the Better Athlete. Whats to Stop Nike from introducing "Semi-Anti-Gravity Shoes" like the "Air Zero-Grav" (i made that up) so their runners can compete at a Fraction of their Body Weight ?
Technology and Sports Performance is a difficult matter because everyone wants to win, but Sports should be about Athletic Ability not an athletes use of Advanced Technology to Artificially Improve their Athletic Ability.

" . . .if anything, he's GAINING on bekele . . ."

gives me chills every time i hear it.

What about training on a treadmill in a small room with no windows?

There isn't any less oxygen in the air at altitude, just less partial pressure of oxygen so it doesn't absorb into the blood stream as readily.

Continue

the norwegian nordic ski team applied "live high train low" technology and several years later cleaned up the medals at the olympics. so nike was not the first to do it.

Arthur Lydiard is the prophet.....do marathon training (aerobic running) for as long time as possible and then 12-16 weeks of hard hill,anaerobic training....it's so simple and so hard

Read the links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Oregon_Project
http://www.tracktownusa.com/track.item.5/the-oregon-project.html

The Nike Altitude Project is NOT basic Altitude Training. It is an advanced Scientific project designed to give participants the best of both worlds hence the name "Live High, Train Low", i.e. the Increased # of Red Blood Cells-RBCs of living at Altitude, while allowing them to train at sea level. Everybody knows the human body runs slower at altitude because of decreased Oxygen levels, so by doing High Intensity Running at Sea Level, participants get the physiological improvements of high intensity training, while increasing RBCs through living at Altitude.
The controversy surrounding these methods is that True Altitude Inhabitants can't have it both ways....They Live AND Train at Altitude. To get the benefits of "Live High, Train Low" they would have to travel thousands of miles from altitude to sea level everyday, which is financially impossible considering the extreme poverty of most African countries.
While the Nike Altitude Project is not blatant Blood Doping, it is HIGHLY Controversial. It begs the question of how much technology should be allowed to enhance a runner's natural ability ? I applaud Coach Salazar and Nike for publicly sharing information about the project. This is not a shadowy, Government Sponsored Doping Program. But it is does push the boundaries of Natural Ability vs. Technological Enhancements.

Read the links "Genius"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Oregon_Project
http://www.tracktownusa.com/track.item.5/the-oregon-project.html

"The argument for altitude rooms is that they make up for those athletes that can't live high. What they don't take into account is that people living high don't get the benefits of training low." Alberto Salazar was confident the Anti-Doping Agency would ultimately approve the altitude house, saying that it's no different from other legal scientific advances like heart rate monitors and sports drinks.[3]
In 2006, the subject was revisited more thoroughly by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which claimed that it could be equivalent to blood doping and therefore they should be banned"
It never surprises me how easily questionable methods are rationalized when Americans are the ones in question...however if the East Africans had Use of Nike's High-Tech Facilities & Coaches, how much more would they embarrass the rest of the world ?

Read the Links "genius"...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Oregon_Project
http://www.tracktownusa.com/track.item.5/the-oregon-project.html

"The argument for altitude rooms is that they make up for those athletes that can't live high. What they don't take into account is that people living high don't get the benefits of training low." Alberto Salazar was confident the Anti-Doping Agency would ultimately approve the altitude house, saying that it's no different from other legal scientific advances like heart rate monitors and sports drinks.[3]
In 2006, the subject was revisited more thoroughly by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which claimed that it could be equivalent to blood doping and therefore they should be banned"
It never surprises me how easily questionable methods are rationalized when Americans are the ones in question...however if the Africans had Use of Nike's High-Tech Facilities & Coaches, how much more would they embarrass the rest of the world ?

If Bolt is any where near the leaders with one lap to go it's all over. Ritz should be happy that Bolt doesn't want to train for the longer distances because it affects his dancing.

How can you say that it is equivalent to blood doping? Endurance athletes have used altitude training for decades. Keep in mind that Salazar's group still works as hard as anyone. Simply living in the house doesn't make you run faster, the training does.

Listening to the call of this race, its so apparent that these announcers are head and shoulders above what we see on NBC, where the mistake Nelson for Rupp and simply have no clue to the finer points of calling races.

Africans have environmental advantages over non-Africans. What do we do, expect them to stay in USA for 5 years before they are able to compete?

Taking nothing away from Ritz, the Nike Altitude Project is highly controversial because it is equivalent to blood doping. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Oregon_Project
http://www.tracktownusa.com/track.item.5/the-oregon-project.html

"Nike's Oregon Project is a group created by athletic shoe company Nike in 2001 to promote American long distance running, using air thinning technology.[1] The runners live and train in Beaverton, Oregon near Nike's headquarters.[1] Some of the runners in this group live in a specially designed house where filters are used to remove oxygen from the air to simulate that the athlete is living at high elevation. Numerous studies[2] have shown that living at altitude causes the athlete to develop more red blood cells, increasing athletic performance.
The group includes the 2007 World Championship 10,000m Bronze medalist Kara Goucher, her husband, 2000 Olympian Adam Goucher, rising stars Galen Rupp and Josh Rohatinsky, Amy Yoder Begley, a 2008 Olympian at 10,000 meters, and Matt Tegenkamp, who is also a 2008 Olympian running in the 5000m.[4]"

Super Inspiring.

Stud

tim hutchings is one of the commentators.does the eurosport commentary, prob the best athletics commentator in the business.wasnt a bad runner either, 13 teens for 5k back in the day i think.

I am proud of the accomplishments of the East African Runners. These athletes have achieved greatness despite few resources, whereas Elite American Runners like Galen Rupp have enjoyed Wealthy Corporate Backing (Nike Facilities & Nike Coaches) since high school.

However, everybody loves an Underdog, and Ritz's Breakthrough 12:56 5k will give hope & inspiration to Non-African Runners. But I don't agree with the IAAF making the World XC Championships a biennial event because of East African Dominance. Using that logic, (predictable winner ethnicity), the championships in Hockey, Swimming, Formula 1, Figure Skating, Mens Tennis, NASCAR, Equestrian, etc. should be held every 2 years. Also, when XC was dominated by Non-African Runners (John Treacy, Craig Virgin, Carlos Lopes,Lynn Jennings, Sonia O'Sullivan etc), nobody was complaining, so whats the problem now ?

I watched to rerun of the meet on universal sports with the American announcers and it is clear that these British announcers are so much better. They have way more passion and are very knowledgeable about all the athletes in the field. There is way more discussion here about Ritz than even our own announcers could muster for their own countrymen.

Beast!

Calm down son! Don't be too arrogant against africans. They have proven that they work, train hard and have success without the riches, the facilities, the machines and staff that are behind the westerns.
Kenenisa is fast yeah and I bet for a world record next year.

Sileshi Sihine (12:47), Eliude Kipchoge (12:46),Isaac Songok (12:48), Saif Shaheen (12:48), Edwin Soi (12:52), Tariku Bekele (12:50), Moses Kipsiro (12:50), Moses Masai (12:50), Joseph Ebuya 12:51), Thomas Longosiwa (12:51), Abraham Chebii (12:52),Gebremariam Gebre-egziabher (12:52) Augustine Choge(12:53) , Abraham Cherkos (12:54), Abebe Dinkessa (12:55) just to name a few under 12:56 PB's coz the list can go on for a while and I am not even talking about under 13:10 or people that aren't running for their original countries...
Most african runners are golden as you say coz they train really hard to make sure they make money to get their families out of poverty, to make sure the next generation will be able to get an adequate education, clean water and live well.
Ritz ran well and I still think he can improve his times if he keeps training really hard and well. But his success is nothing but good for the sport as your media will talk more about track and field. But the poor africans as some call them proved the whole world that they can be powerful, dominant, fast and strong for years without having the same facilities and privileges and still can be humble about it. Coz today you win but tomorrow u can lose. That's just the game!

"Kenya, Ethiopia, USA? Hell yes! It is no longer a matter of East Africa and the rest of the world. The US is the best track and field country in the world. Screw football, let's spend money on track and field."

I second this.

I DISAGREE!!! Brad Hudson helped Ritz establish a phenomenal endurance base with marathon training, but Salazar & the Nike Altitude Project gave Ritz the extra Oxygen Efficiency & Faster Leg Turnover needed to break 13 minutes for 5k. This is just a good Old Fashioned Breakthrough for one of the most Talented Distance Runners in the World. Clearly something had been lacking in Ritz's training prior to switching to Salazar, and he has found the missing pieces. Sub 27 minute 10k Next!!!!!!

Kenya, Ethiopia, USA? Hell yes! It is no longer a matter of East Africa and the rest of the world. The US is the best track and field country in the world. Screw football, let's spend money on track and field.

Excellent announcers of the race. !!!

Those splits are insane

dont credit salazar for this performance, as in multiple articles, salazar has declined to take credit for the performance. good old alberto duly recognizes the phenomenal aerobic development done by brad hudson. lets face it, you dont knock nearly 20 seconds off an already phenomenal PR by training with the oregon project for 7 weeks

heartbreaker for trying

USA!

go michigan, heck yeah

Well, the golden AFrican is Kenenisa, who else?

Truly an inspiring race Ritz. Keep the easy days easy.

ya boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
GO RITZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was the most amazing 5k ever run by an American! To go from last place into second and then nearly challenge Bekele for the lead took “Mega Nads!” Ritz seems to have had a lot of frustration over the last couple of years and has always known in his mind that he could run a hell of a lot faster than what the clock was showing. Well, he certainly shattered those dragons forever! I also think that he has decisively broken through a psychological barrier in the 5k through which many others such as Rupp, Fernandez, Jager, Teg, etc. will hopefully now follow. I think a lot of the other guys could definitely learn from his “Balls on Fire Approach” to racing. Brilliant Job!

Switching to Coach Salazar & the Deep pockets of the Nike Altitude Project is paying off tremendously for Ritz...see the links http://www.tracktownusa.com/track.item.5/the-oregon-project.html
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.08/nike.html

East Africans naturally live and train at high altitude, so Nike invested heavily in Altitude Simulation Technology to help Elite American Runners improve. The rest of the World has been looking for a way to compete with the Steady Stream of East African World Beaters and Money, Technology & Science seems to be the Answer...This will surely continue the debate about P.E.T...Performance Enhancing Technologies

Great stuff. Love the announcers. Nice change to hear quality track announcing where the announcers can actually identify the runners and talk intelligently about their performance. Lewis Johnson could learn A LOT from these guys.

notice the dude who "forgot" he was in lane one in the start

That was incredible! 4:06 for the final 4 laps! Wow!

Finally!!!!! New American Record!! He really came out of no where....didn't know that he was ready for that kind of time. GO RITZ!!!

I've cheered you for many years. You deserve it. I hope you get the 10,000 record too. I think I'll run well in my 3x3K tomorrow with the inspiration that you give me.

just got chills

to all of you haters and bandwagon jumpers...SUCK IT! GO RITZ!

Check out Ritz moving up at 5:58 in the video!! Kick Asss!!!

WOW! That is a shocker!!! Great going Ritz!!!

Is ritz the only white person in this race???

that's insane!!!

ballsy

Holy mother of GAWD!!! That's so awesome! I never thought I'd see the AR go down like that, so many kudos to Ritz, he earned the daylights out of that.

Yes!!! Go Ritz! American distance running is amazing right now

Incredible! It was tough to follow Dathan's progress in the edge of the screen, but I saw enough to be pumped for him. What an amazing accomplishment from someone with many, many accomplishments!