Contact: Richard Finn, (212) 423-2229 | rfinn@nyrr.org

NEW YORK - (February 19, 2007) - Dathan Ritzenhein, one of America's most promising distance runners, will take to New York City's Central Park as he joins the field for the 2007 USA Men's 8K Championship on Saturday, March 17, it was announced Monday by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

The 2005 USA Cross Country champion, Ritzenhein recently won a bronze medal on the 12K course at the 2007 USA Cross Country Championships in his hometown of Boulder, Colo. Earlier this year, the 2004 Olympian had a sixth-place finish at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country 9.3K (29:02) in Scotland.

"The best of the best in American distance running are preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics," said Wittenberg. "The addition of Dathan to this field heats up the competition and illustrates that these athletes are pushing to prove themselves throughout 2007."

Last week, it was announced that top American distance runners Adam Goucher, Abdi Abdirahman and Jorge Torres had entered the field for the USA Men's 8K Championship. NYRR is putting up a prize money purse of $35,000 including $10,000 for the national champion. Additionally, a $25,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning athlete who breaks the current U.S. 8K record of 22 minutes, 4 seconds.

The race course will cover the last eight kilometers (4.97 miles) of the route that will be used when NYRR hosts the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon on Saturday, November 3, 2007. NYRR previously hosted the USA 8K Championships from 2002 to 2005. The event was not held in 2006.

For more information, visit: NYRR.org

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