Ritz and Rhines Take Gasparilla Titles in Tampa

Published by Toni Reavis on February 22, 2015

Finishing under a warm butterscotch sun three-time U.S. Olympians Dathan Ritzenhein and Jen Rhinescaptured top honors today at the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon.  Dathan and Jen both broke year-old course records in the process, Ritz’s 1:03:17 erasing Ryan Vail’s 1:04:09 from 2014, while Rhines’ 1:12:35 white-outed Lindsey Scherf’s 1:13:08 from the books.  They each won $8000 for their victories, as well.  But how they won their titles, ah, that is where their stories diverge.

Both divisions began in the pre-dawn dark at 6 a.m. with the men lighting out at a very modest effort under calm 57 degree temps.  A pack of seven soon formed as the course led over the bridge onto Davis Island for the first five miles.  Four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, just back from a six week training stint in Ethiopia, established the pace with Americans Ritz, Fernando Cabada, Ian Burrell, Brett Gotcher, Carlos Trujillo and 22 year-old Tampa resident Brian Atkinson all in easy contact. Mile two passed in a desultory 10:06, perfect from the Ritzenhein standpoint.

“The slower the better as far as I’m concerned,” Ritz told me during a chat on Friday.  “I haven’t rested for this at all, and would rather not have to press early.”