FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Ritzenhein takes bronze at World Half Marathon Championships
 
BIRMINGHAM - 2008 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein (Portland, Ore.) ran the 
second fastest U.S. time in history to finish third Sunday at the 18th IAAF 
World Half Marathon Championships, in Birmingham, UK. Zersenay Tadese of 
Eritrea won his fourth  world title in 59:35 while Bernard Kipyego of Kenya 
just outkicked Ritzenhein for the runner-up position, running 59:59.  
Ritzenhein's 1:00:00, led the Team USA men to a fourth-place team finish.   

Other Team USA finishers included a 20th-place finish by Andrew Carlson 
(Flagstaff, Ariz.) in 1:02:50; James Carney (Boulder, Colo.) 38th in 
1:04:00; Brett Gotcher (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 64th in 1:05:43; and Scott Bauhs 
(Chico, Calif.) in 1:06:07.

Kenya won the team competition with a total time of 3:01:06, Eritrea was 
second in 3:02:39 and Ethiopia edged out the U.S. for third 3:06:42 to 
3:06:50.

Amy Yoder Begley (Portland, Ore.) finished 11th in 1:10:09 to lead the Team 
USA women to a fifth-place team finish.  Begley was followed by teammates 
Serena Burla (Baldwin, Mo.), who finished 17th in 1:10:55; Amy Hastings 
(Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) finished 33rd in 1:13:20; Heidi Westerling 
(Acworth, N.H.) was 38th in 1:14:22: and Elva Dryer (Gunnison, Colo.) 
finished 48th in 1:16:42.  Mary Keitany of Kenya dominated the women's 
field, running 1:06:36.

Kenya also won the women's team competition with a combined time of 
3:22:30.

For more information on Team USA at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon 
Championships, visit www.usatf.org.

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