Pfitzinger follows in parents’ footsteps
BEACH TO BEACON 10K
Go back three or more decades when the name Pfitzinger was synonymous with the best of New England and international road racing. Pete Pfitzinger, a bearded Cornell graduate, burned up the roads making the U.S. Olympic marathon team in 1984 and 1988. His wife, Christine, a native of New Zealand, made her country’s 1988 Olympic squad at 3,000 meters.
These days the family banner is being carried by Annika Pfitzinger, the couple’s 25-year-old daughter who will compete in the 21st Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on Saturday.
The scenic event is the brainchild of marathon legend Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Cape Elizabeth native. Last year’s race was won by a pair of Kenyans, Stephen Kosgei Kibet (27:55) for the men and Mary Keitany (30:41) for the woman. Shalane Flanagan of Marblehead was the top American woman in fourth (31:15) while Maine’s Ben True (27:56) was the first American man in second.
Annika Pfitzinger, who was born in Exeter, N.H., where her dad was working in the footwear industry, lived in Wellesley until age 5.
“My mom was very pregnant with my little sister, Katrina (now 20), and she didn’t want to spend another tough winter here, so we moved back to New Zealand,” said Annika.
Annika, who has been doing high altitude training in Boulder, Colo., since May, made one earlier foray to New England four years ago. She stayed with the family of Tom Ratcliffe, a former Olympic marathoner who often trained with and competed against Pete Pfitzinger.
On the trip, Annika had an opportunity to run in the 38th Bridgton (Maine) 4 on the Fourth of July and came away with a 22:32 victory.
After returning home to New Zealand, a spate of injuries disrupted her upward running trajectory, so she dabbled in triathlons for a couple of years. The sport of running was never far from her mind or heart, often boosted by meeting new friends who knew her parents well.
“The world,” laughed Annika when asked about her introduction to the sport. “After my sister and I were born, my mom went back to running. My dad always ran. I went along with them to the track. But my parents never pushed me in primary (elementary) school or anything. I always did it for fun.
“It wasn’t until I was about 13 or 14 that I started focusing on running,” she added. “I ran in high school but after that I had three years of injuries. I did triathlons for a couple of years. This past April, I decided to return to running. That’s where my passion has always been.”
“My dad actually suggested Beach to Beacon. I was looking to run some 10K or half-marathon while I was over here. I’m going to be running Falmouth, too, so I’ll be staying in the area for about two weeks,” added Annika, who is pursuing a master’s degree from Massey University in Auckland.
“I ran a 10,000 meters (personal best) a couple of weeks ago (in San Diego) but I feel I can still take some time off of that (34:44). The field at Beach to Beacon is very good so I’ll look to run my own race and see what happens.”
All in all, her current U.S. odyssey is rekindling old family memories.
“It really is,” she said. “Everyone has been so welcoming. Everyone keeps saying, ‘I knew your parents.’ It’s nice to hear, to say the least.
“It’s a world I didn’t even know. It really is quite amazing.”