University of Colorado alum and Nike athlete Dathan Ritzenhein will be returning to Boulder.

Ritzenhein, whose name was just announced as a part of the 2015 Boston Marathon elite field, will make his third race appearance of the year at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colo., on Feb. 7.

The USATF Cross Country Championships will be held in Boulder for the second year in a row, and this will be Ritzenhein’s first race in town since 2007. He is a three-time USATF cross champion, winning in 2005, 2008, and 2010.

His most recent USATF cross country finish was in 2013, where he was runner-up to Chris Derrick, who will be going for his third-straight USATF cross title. 2014 was an injury-plagued year for Ritzenhein, who has since raced twice in Europe. He won the Campaccio Cross Country race Jan. 6, and finished third in the 4k field at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country meet on Jan. 10.

Ritzenhein told MLive/Grand Rapids Press that running USATF cross is a "logical progression" for the 32-year-old, who is enjoying a healthy season and prepping for the Boston Marathon, which will be 10 weeks from the 12k race in Boulder.