Five Borough Bucket List
Menu
Picture
Picture

NYRR's Birthday Celebration + History Panel!

6/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Before I moved back to New York, one of the first things I did was sign up for a membership with New York Road Runners. I was super excited to have a huge group to run and race with, especially since the NYC Marathon is my dream race. When I heard it was their birthday (59 years young!), and they were hosting a celebration, I had to go.
Picture
NYRR recently opened a Run Center on 57th Street, where runners can pick up their race gear, check out some running history, and shop at the New Balance store. There are also lockers if you want to stash your stuff while you run in Central Park. It's really awesome to have a place where you can go to meet other runners, especially one so close to the park. On Friday night, they also hosted a 59th birthday party, featuring a special panel of guests to discuss the history of the sport.
Picture
The panel included Nina Kuscsik (the first woman to officially win Boston!), Gary Muhrcke (winner of the first NYC Marathon), and George Hirsch, chairman of the NYRR Board of Directors, and former publisher of Runner's World magazine. 
Picture
During the panel, we got to hear a bunch of really crazy and interesting stories about the history of running in New York City. Some of the things we learned included:
  • Women had a separate start from the men at the NYC Marathon, until a sit-down protest in 1972 (see the photo below!), which Nina participated in!
  • Frank Shorter winning the men's marathon at the Berlin Olympics set off a big running boom...and it became "cool" to go out running.
  • Before Shorter won the Olympics, it was common to run in a local park and see nobody else on the road with you.
  • Nina said that if a woman was out running in the rain, it was common for cops to stop her to make sure she wasn't running from anything dangerous.
  • When the NYC Marathon was moved from loops in Central Park to all five boroughs, a certain crime organization didn't want to let the race close down the streets of Brooklyn...until they got enough money that is.
  • Fred Lebow (former NYRR President and founder of the NYC Marathon) was famous for playing to the media to get attention for races.
  • Most people on the panel think we'll eventually get to a 2:00 marathon, but it may not be anytime soon.
Picture
I honestly could have listened to them talk all night because their stories were so interesting. After the panel, Michael Capiraso (NYRR President and CEO) and Peter Ciaccia (Events President and NYC Marathon Race Director) led a quick toast to (at least) 59 more years of running.
Picture
And we got delicious birthday cake - perfect fuel for the upcoming race weekend if you ask me. We were invited to check out some different artifacts from NYRR history. 
Picture
Old promo stuff and race medals
Picture
The sit-down in 1972 - check out the signs!
Picture
Old school newsletter
Picture
"1,800 runners"
Picture
Old magazines and race bibs
Picture
The wall of NYC Marathon medals. One day :(
Picture
Me and Nina!
Happy birthday to NYRR! 

Questions for you:
  • Have you ever run a NYRR event?
  • What running fact from history interests you the most?
  • Does your city have a running center?
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016

    Categories

    All
    Brooklyn
    Concerts
    Dessert
    #FiveBoroughBucketList
    Holidays
    Manhattan
    Museums
    Music
    New York
    Parades
    Photography
    Queens
    Restaurants
    Running
    Sports
    Staten Island
    Theater
    The Bronx
    Travel

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • About
  • Five Borough Bucket List
  • Blog
  • About
  • Five Borough Bucket List