Schaumburg runner finishes 15th at Boston
Particularly for a distance runner, Pat Rizzo always has been a world-class talker.
"When he was here, my nickname for him was 'The Radio,'" said Al Carius, the longtime North Central College track and cross country coach. "We would start a run and he would just go from one topic to the next all the way through.
"I'd say, 'Now it's time for 'Never-Ending Story with Pat Rizzo!' He's a character. A tremendous sense of humor."
The latest chapter in the 25-year-old Schaumburg native's running story? He's becoming even more of a marathoner than a raconteur.
The gregarious Rizzo finished 15th at the Boston Marathon on Monday in a personal-best of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 5 seconds. More important, he was the third American to cross the line.
The United States can send as many as three marathoners to the Olympics.
Whether it happens in 2012, 2016 or even 2020, Rizzo lives to finish in the top three at the Olympic trials and qualify to wear the red, white and blue.
"I would say this was a huge mental breakthrough for me, as far as knowing what I can do," Rizzo said Tuesday as he waited at Boston's Logan Airport to return to his training home of Rochester Hills, Mich.
"I'm in such a totally different place with where I'm at now."
Not to mention a totally different level than he once was at Schaumburg High School or North Central College.
The 2001 Schaumburg graduate finished eighth in the IHSA cross country state meet as a senior, then sixth in the 3200 meter run at the state track meet. Nice showings, but nothing sensational.
"He ran a 9:18 (for the 3200 run) in high school," said Schaumburg coach Jim Macnider. "There were 100 guys better than him in high school, if not more.
"But the great ones, they're just focused on running. It comes internally. It takes a special kind of person to put in 120 miles a week. Most people, they're going to look at you and think you're nuts."
When Rizzo followed his brother, Tony, to North Central, he blossomed as a 5,000- and 10,000-meter runner as it rewarded his endurance and desire.
After earning four All-American honors at North Central, Rizzo decided to find out whether the marathon might suit him even better. His coach already knew.
"Marathoning fits perfectly into his personality, his commitment, his discipline," Carius said. "He's very, very intrinsically motivated."
Rizzo joined the Hansons Brooks Distance Project in Rochester Hills, Mich., where he's one of seven up-and-coming marathoners who share two houses rent-free.
(Initially, he wasn't deemed good enough and had to pay $200 in rent each month until he cracked the 2:20 barrier at the 2006 Chicago Marathon.)
Though they work at Hansons Brooks running stores to earn a little walking-around money, Rizzo and his teammates are essentially full-time professionals.
On Monday at Boston, five Hansons Brooks runners finished between 13th and 20th place. Rizzo earned a $2,500 check for his showing.
Macnider can't wait to find out what's next for his prized pupil.
"In marathoning, you improve and you plateau," he said. "Then sometimes you have these breakthroughs. Who knows? He might pop a marathon a year from now and go 2:12. I wouldn't be surprised. Pat's got the determination."
But first, Rizzo has a few weeks off to recuperate from Boston. He plans to use his downtime to visit Macnider and Carius and run with their teams.
And, yes, The Radio will be going full-blast.
"I'll make sure he'll get a chance to talk to our team," Carius said. "When he speaks about running, you better listen because he's dead right-on."
The Pat Rizzo file
Age: 25 Size: 5-foot-8, 140 pounds
High school: Schaumburg (2001 grad)
College: North Central (2005 graduate in Religious Studies)
High school accomplishments: Three-time all-MSL cross country runner. Finished eighth in Class AA cross country meet in 2000. Finished sixth in the 3200 meters at Class AA track meet in 2001.
College accomplishments: Three-time Div. III All-American in cross country, including a 10th place national finish in 2004. Four-time Div. III All-American for track in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. No. 2 on North Central's all-time 10K list with a time of 29:38.56.
Professional accomplishments: Finished 15th at Boston Marathon on Monday in personal-best time of 2:17:05 Took 26th at the United States Olympic trials on Nov. 3, 2007, in 2:18.30. He was the youngest finisher among the top 26.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/234839-2009-boston-marathon/171874-patrick-rizzo-2009-boston-marathon">Rizzo on the Boston Marathon </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>