|
New York, N.Y., March 7, 2012
– Portraits of running icons Grete Waitz and Ted Corbitt, two legends
who
took long distance running to extraordinary fame in New York City,
were unveiled Tuesday night at The Armory and will forever be showcased
in the Marathon room of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.
Waitz’
image was taken by Lisbeth Michelsen and published in 2010. The
portrait of Corbitt was the work of Staten Island artist Sarah Yuster.
Her work is in the collections
of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the National Air &
Space Museum, Harvard and Yale Universities and the Bangkok Royal
Compound in Thailand.
 
Yuster along with Ted Corbitt’s son Gary were on hand for the unveiling.
Also
made public was the Ted Corbitt Memorial Award plaque, which USA Track
& Field gives to the Male Ultrarunner of the Year.
“It’s
fair to say Ted’s spirit is what we have today in long distance
running,” said Armory Foundation Executive Director Dr. Norb Sander.
“Ted was a remarkable runner, a
remarkable health physician, a remarkable writer and a remarkable
husband and father.”
Corbitt
(1919-2007) was often called “the father of long distance running.” He
was an ultramarathon pioneer, helping in the 1960s and ’70s to revive
interest in marathons
within the United States. He was the founding president of the New York
Road Runners Club and the Runners Club of America. He helped develop
the route for the ING New York City Marathon.
Waitz
(1953-2011) of Norway won a record nine New York City Marathons from
1978-88. Waitz also was a world record holder, the 1983 Gold medal
winner in the World Championships
in Helsinki and captured a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics in Los
Angeles. She’s known for her contributions to promoting marathon and
long distance running for women.
“It
was on our streets where she shined,” said New York Road Runners CEO
and President Mary Wittenberg. “She may have been born in Norway but to
so many of us she will always
be a New Yorker. I can’t think of a better place to recognize her than
here in the Marathon room in the National Track Hall of Fame.”
|
