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Season-Long Tribute to the Late Grete Waitz Begins at the 40th Running of the NYRR New York Mini 10K
From the New York Road RunnersMay 25, 2011
New York, NY
A season-long tribute to the late Grete Waitz will begin with the dedication of the 40th running of the NYRR New York Mini 10K to the great Norwegian athlete. New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg made the announcement on Tuesday, May 24.
Grete Waitz, who shares the record of five wins with Tegla Loroupe at the world’s original women’s only road race, also won a record nine New York City Marathon titles, and was the silver medalist at the inaugural Olympic women’s marathon in 1984. She passed away in April at the age of 57 after a long battle with cancer.
Future tributes and events in memory of Grete Waitz are planned throughout the year at other NYRR events, including the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6.
“Grete was one of the true pioneers for women in our sport, and she had so much impact in so many ways, it’s only appropriate that our tributes start at the world’s original women-only road race, the Mini,” commented Mary Wittenberg.
“The Mini was always an important race for Grete. It was the first women-only road race she ran,” said Grete’s husband, Jack Waitz. “I am still impressed about the times Grete ran in Central Park. The Mini gave Grete the inspiration to start The Grete Waitz Run in Oslo in 1984, a race that 10 years later had 47,000 women running.”
Special events to be introduced on race day, June 11, and the weekend:
--Waitz’s image will be featured on the runner t-shirt, and the back of the finishing medal will be engraved with the words “Remembering Grete”
--New York Road Runners women staff members will be invited to run, and will wear special commemorative T-shirts
--A photo exposition of Waitz’s career will be presented at the finishing area in Central Park, and the mile markers on the 6.2-mile course will be designed in her honor
--A select group of Friends of Grete, led by her husband Jack Waitz, will run the race in her memory
--The women’s 1500m at the adidas Grand Prix Diamond League track meet on Saturday, June 11 at Icahn Stadium will be renamed the Grete Waitz 1500m to honor Grete’s longtime association with adidas and the running success she found in New York City
--An industry-wide tribute to Waitz, which will bring together athletes from the track and roads, industry leaders, journalists, NYRR officials, and staff, will be held the weekend of the NYRR New York Mini 10K
Founded by NYRR in 1972, the Mini 10K got its name when race founder Fred Lebow convinced the first sponsor to support a six-mile “mini marathon”--named for the miniskirt, which was then in fashion--rather than a full marathon. The Mini has been a fixture on the NYRR calendar ever since. The first race had 78 participants; there have been nearly 200,000 entrants to date.
New York Road Runners
Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners is dedicated to advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and meeting community’s needs. NYRR'sgoal is to use the expertise acquired in its 53-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier lives through participation in NYRR races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs. NYRR races and other events draw more than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR’s premier event, is the largest marathon in the world, attracting the world’s top professional runners every year and raising $30.8 million for charity in 2010. NYRR’s running-based youth programs, which currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of schools and community centers, promote children’s health and fitness, character development, and personal achievement in underserved communities. For more information, see www.nyrr.org.