Dathan Ritzenhein announced on Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the 2018 Boston Marathon. In a tweet, Ritzenhein cited an injury in his SI joint that he suffered last week in practice.
Devastated to say I won’t be racing Boston Marathon. I am truly gutted by this now. Best of luck to all my fellow runners who have earned their spot and are racing this Monday. A little more posted below. pic.twitter.com/dK8jOo6fKP
— Dathan Ritzenhein (@djritzenhein) April 11, 2018
“It is incredibly difficult, especially this late in the preparation and where my fitness is,” Ritzenhein said of the injury. “We were just starting the taper and (I had) no issues going on before; training was the most healthy in years and I was greatly enjoying the process.”
The 35-year-old hasn’t finished a marathon since 2015 but looked to be ready to compete after his second-place finish at last month’s New York City Half Marathon in March.
“Like so many times before, I will heal and get back out there. These moments, while horrible now, make the success so rewarding.”