The 53rd NYC Marathon

November 3, 2024

The first race in 1970 were laps around Central Park.  Out of the 127 competitors, only 55 actually finished the race with approximately 100 spectators.  The race continued to take place in Central Park until 1976 when it gained international recognition and spread out over 5  boroughs of New York City. Organized by New York Road Runners, the very first edition of the NYC Marathon had a budget of $1,000 and a $1 entry fee.  The NYC Marathon now begins on Staten Island and runs through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.  The 2024 entry fee is $255 for NYRR members, $315 for non-members and $358 for non-U.S. residents.  These fees are non-refundable. 

The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City.  It is the largest marathon in the world with 53,627 finishers in 2019 and 98,247 applicants for the 2017 race  Along with the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United Sate and is one of the World Marathon Majors which includes annual races for the cities of Tokyo, Boston and London.

Nina Kuscsik challenged the rules and made history in the marathon's early years.  In the very first NYC marathon, Nina was the only woman entered in the race.  She ended up suffering from a gastrointestinal issue that forced her to drop out at mile 15.  In 1971, she pioneered efforts for equality between the sexes in marathons when she asked the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) if women could compete officially against the men.  They agreed, but enforced a rule requiring a different start time for women.  

In 1972, only seven months after winning the Boston Marathon, Nina participated in the NYC Marathon with seven other women. To protest the different time, which was supposed to give them a ten minute head-start, the women sat down when the gun went off.  After ten minutes, the women got up and ran alongside the men.  Nina ended up winning the race, making her the first woman to win the Boston and New York Marathons in one year.  The AAU dropped the separate start time rule and Nina returned to New York for another victory in 1973. After her victory in 1972 she is quoted as saying  these words ..

Running is neither masculine or feminine.  It's just healthy"

Nina Kuscsik

Another famous runner by the name of Grete Waitz broke records and won the NYC Marathon an unprecedented 9 times in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988.  After winning her first NYC Marathon in 1978, Norwegian runner Grete Waitz became the first woman in history to complete a major marathon in under 2:30 in 1979.  In 1978, wearing bib #1173 she had a world-record time of 2:32:30.  Waitz also won the London Marathon in 1983, 1986 and the Stockholm Marathon in 1988 which was the same year of her final win in New York.  Along the way, she earned five world records and achieved royalty status in her home country of Norway. 

This was the same year that saw over 10,000 people finish the race.  Grete beat her own record again in 1980, making her nine minutes faster than any other woman to complete the race.  She won her ninth and final victory in 1988 before retiring from competitive running.  In 1992, however, she ran the marathon for the last time alongside Fred Lebow,  the co-president of the NYRR (New York Road Runners) and co-founder of the New York City Marathon. NYRR serves 695,000 runners of all ages and abilities, annually, through hundreds of races, community open runs, walks and training. Waitz became chair of the NYRR Foundation and was an accomplished coach and advocate before she passed in Oslo, Norway on April 19, 2011 at age 57.

Grete and Fred

Waltz's last marathon, New York City in 1992, wasn't a shout-worthy sprint to the tape, but it was every bit as memorable and even more heroic.  Waltz ran all 26.2 miles with New York City Marathon co-founder and race director, Fred Lebow.  Breaking records and changing minds about what women could achieve in the sport had taught her poise.  In this photo she tried to step aside before the finish line, but Lebow grabbed her arm and they tearfully bent the tape, together. 

The first wheelchair division was added to the New York City Marathon in 2000 allowing athletes with disabilities to compete.  A cash prize was introduced a year later, making it an even mmore rewarding feat.  In 2006, Australian athlete Kurt Fearnley set a still-standing record in the wheelchair division of 1:29:22.

In 2002, the NYRR Team for Kids launched a charity at the NYC Marathon.  The team of adult runners participated in the NYC Marathon to raise funds for youth and community programs focused on fitness and nutrition.  Their free programs benefit nearly 250,000 kids acrosss the United States and serve nearly 700,000 runners of all ages annually through races, training and community runs. Fundraisers are guaranteed a spot in premier running events with the purpose of making every mile count towards healthy and supported youth.

The New York City Marathon is and will remain .. one of the most legendary marathons in the world.  Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the 2024 New York City Marathon men's and women's 2024 races.  Congratulations.