Ted Corbitt Receives Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award

[GaryC]

Ted Corbitt is honored with the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award

Past Winners:
2018: Jacqueline Hansen
2017: Bill Roe
2016: Browning Ross
2015: Dave McGillivray
2014: Fred Lebow
2013: Don Kardong

Here’s my acceptance speech on behalf of my father:

I’ve observed the work of Jeff Darman and Phil Stewart for over 40 years and I wish to take this opportunity to thank you both for your tireless work in being champion advocates towards bettering long distance running. You were leaders in our sport as it transitioned from amateur to professional. You do honor not only to my father’s legacy but to the many other individuals who helped invent our sport during the 1950s and 1960s.

I’d like to raise up the name of some of these individuals who set a foundation for the successes the sport enjoys today. I’m limiting this list to people who primarily did their work in the 1950s and 1960s. These were grassroot organizers like Jeff and Phil

In the Mid-Atlantic region: Browning Ross, Ed & Pete League, Tom Osler, Dr. William Ruthrauff

In New England – Bob Campbell, Bill Marot, Jock Semple, Fred Brown, Wil Cloney, John Booras

In New York – Mr. Joseph Yancey & NYPC, John Sterner, Joe Kleinerman, Aldo Scandurra,
Austin Scott, Kurt Steiner, Harry Murphy, Barry Geisler, Vincent Chiappetta

In Washington DC – Hugh Jascourt, Norman Brand, Dr. Gabe Mirkin, Gar Williams

In Midwest Region - Arne Richards, Hal Higdon, Ron Daws, Fred Wilt, Pat Lanin, Ken Young,
John O’Neil, Ted Haydon

In West Coast Region - Robert DeCelle, Scott Hamilton, John Brennand

In United Kingdom – John Jewell

Our original running couples:
Chris & Gordon McKenzie
Ann & Nat Cirulnick
Sara Mae & Larry Berman
Lynn & Bob Carman

My first memory of the sport was at the 1956 Yonkers Marathon at age 5. By age 10 I could
identify all the runners in the NY region and was aware of performances of the top road and the track and field athletes from reading Long Distance Log and Track & Field News.

During this era there were no women officially able to run in road races. One of my favorite topics in the running history research I conduct is the women pioneers. The ladies that preceded Bobbi, Kathrine, and Nina.

Names like Chris McKenzie, Grace Butcher, Lillian Greene-Chamberlain, the women
who ran the historic 1960 Olympic trial 800 Meter race like Doris Brown and Judy Shapiro –Ikenberry, Billie Pat Daniels, Rose Lovelace, Louise Mead. The first women road runners like Julia Chase, Diane Lechausse, Merry Leeper, Lyn Carman, and Sara Mae Berman. These pioneers paved the way for today’s generation of women runners.

I’d like to leave you with some questions and challenges:
What’s your plan in preserving the history of your road race?

Have you interviewed the elders in your area – labeled pictures -scanned important documents and publications, kept scrapbooks?
How about our sports leaders and running institutions begin developing a coordinated plan to
properly preserve the running collections of historic figures and scholars?

On the issue of diversity in our sport:
Could a coordinated diversity plan to increase participants from the various ethnic groups create a new running boom and at least flatten the participation declines we’ve witnessed in recent years?

I hope these are action steps you the leaders of our sport will begin to explore.

I want to share a quote from David Katz – someone who continues my father’s legacy in course measurement: “I believe Ted is the man who invented the sport of road racing. An activity is just play until you apply standards and rules.”

My father was one of many who helped invent our sport.

My father could never have pulled off his overloaded schedule without the total support of my mother Ruth; 200 mile training weeks, New York Road Runner administrative and editorial newsletter work, national course measurement and standards committee work, and teaching physical therapy at New York area colleges.

January 31st of this year would have been my father’s 100th Birthday. I’m honored to accept this Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award in his behalf.

Best Wishes!
Gary Corbitt
Curator: Ted Corbitt Archives
www.tedcorbitt.com
Historian: National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA)

[Halfmiler2]

Well deserved!

[bambam1729]

And well said, Gary