In July we saw two tragedies in our area during triathlons only one week apart. First there was the death of a 32-year-old man in the New York City Triathlon on July 20. The following week 52-year-old John Hobgood of Princeton Junction, N.J., died in the New Jersey State Triathlon.
“The Half should serve as an excellent final test, in terms of both the elite field and weather conditions, before the Olympic Games marathon in
He, along with a star-studded cast of athletes like USA Half-Marathon athlete champion James Carney, four-time Olympian Coleen De Reuck, fourth-place finisher for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Zoila Gomez and Fasil Bizuneh, will challenge each other for the competitive prize purse of $70,000. A $10,000 purse is offered to the top male and female athlete.
The two men challenging Ritzenhein for the purse came off of great runs in the 10,000m final at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Track &Field in Eugene, July 4. Carney placed sixth and Bizuneh placed fifteenth. Ritzenhein actually participated in the race, so he could prepare for the Beijing Games. He placed eighth. He received his berth to the
For Ritzenhein, 25, of
As Ritzenhein looks forward to
The women also have to prove themselves as De Reuck, 44, of
Over 19,000 people applied to be part of the popular course that winds around
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Recent deaths make people wonder if they should keep running. 
