New York Road Runners

New York Road Runners
Formation1958 (1958)
FounderTed Corbitt
Legal statusNon-profit (501c3)
Location
Websitewww.nyrr.org

New York Road Runners (NYRR) is a non-profit running organization based in New York City whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. It was founded in 1958 by Ted Corbitt with 47 members and has since grown to a membership of more than 60,000. As of 2012, it was considered to be the premier running organization in the United States.[1]

History

Following the establishment of the Road Runners Club of America in February 1958, Ted Corbitt became the founding president of the affiliated New York Road Runners in June of that year. At its founding, the organization was called Road Runners Club–New York Association, or RRC–NYA. The club organized seven events in its first year, all in the Bronx; these included its inaugural event, a six-mile cross-country race on September 28, 1958 in Van Cortlandt Park, and its inaugural marathon, called the Cherry Tree Marathon, on February 22, 1959.[2][3]

In 1970, Fred Lebow and club president Vince Chiappetta organized the first New York City Marathon.[4] Under Lebow, club president from 1972 to 1993,[5] other signature races, including the Mini 10K, 5th Avenue Mile, and Midnight Run, were established.[6][7] Allan Steinfeld succeeded Lebow and was named technical director of the New York City Marathon, which he was credited with modernizing, in 1981.[8]

In 2005, Mary Wittenberg succeeded Steinfeld as president and CEO of NYRR.[9] She also became the first female director of the New York City Marathon.[10]

Michael Capiraso succeeded Wittenberg in 2015.[11] In 2020 Kerin Hempel succeeded Capiraso, and in 2022 Rob Simmelkjaer succeeded Hempel and is the current CEO of the organization. George Hirsch served as chair of the NYRR Board of Directors from 2004 to 2023 and is now the Board Chair Emeritus.[12] In July 2023, Nnenna Lynch succeeded Hirsch and is the current Chair of the Board of Directors.[13]

From 1981 through 2015, NYRR was headquartered on the Upper East Side on East 89th Street (also known as Fred Lebow Place),[14] not far from Central Park. Upon the sale of that building, the organization announced a move to and creation of a Run Center near Columbus Circle the following year. Prior to 1981, it was based at the West Side YMCA.[12]

Community

NYRR serves runners of all ages and abilities through over sixty annual events, including races, community open runs, walks, training, virtual products, and other running-related programming. The organization's free youth programs and events serve kids in New York City's five boroughs and across the country.[15]

Abebe Bikila Award

The club gives out the annual Abebe Bikila Award in recognition of individuals who have contributed to the sport of running. First awarded in 1978 and named in honor of Olympic marathon winner Abebe Bikila, the award is presented in November.

Races

Races are held nearly every weekend and include destination races such as the:

References

  1. ^ Macur, Juliet; Belson, Ken (2012-10-13). "The New York City Marathon Is Thriving. So What's the Problem?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  2. ^ Cooper, Pamela (1998). The American Marathon. Syracuse University Press. pp. 124–125. ISBN 0-8156-0520-X.
  3. ^ "Six Decades of New York Road Runners History: 1958-1970". www.nyrr.org. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  4. ^ Rubin, Ron (2004). Anything for a T-Shirt: Fred Lebow and the New York City Marathon, the World’s Greatest Footrace. Syracuse University Press. pp. 20–22. ISBN 0-8156-0806-3.
  5. ^ "NYRR History". New York Road Runners. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  6. ^ Padnani, Amisha (2017-01-30). "A Runner's City: How the World's Biggest Marathon Took Shape". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  7. ^ O'Brien, Richard (2021-10-05). The New York City Marathon: Fifty Years Running. Skyhorse. ISBN 978-1-5107-5868-1.
  8. ^ Sandomir, Richard (2017-01-29). "Allan Steinfeld, Who Modernized New York City Marathon, Dies at 70". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  9. ^ Robbins, Liz (2005-11-05). "New Race Director Infuses Marathon With Energy and Ideas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  10. ^ Hirsch, George A. (2021-11-04). "How the New York City Marathon Got Where It Is Today". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  11. ^ Helliker, Kevin; Germano, Sara (2015-05-12). "New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg Steps Down". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  12. ^ a b Gambaccini, Peter (2015-11-18). "New York Road Runners to Vacate Fabled Headquarters". Runners World. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  13. ^ Staff, NYRR (2023-06-30). "Nnenna Lynch: NYRR's New Chair of the Board of Directors". NYRR. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  14. ^ Foderaro, Lisa W. (2011-11-02). "Arriving at the Finish Line, Days Before the Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  15. ^ "haku Celebrates One Year New York Road Runners Partnership–Supporting Global Running Community". Detroit Free Press. Detroit Free Press. 2026-03-16. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
  16. ^ Minsberg, Talya (2021-04-22). "A New York road race suggests that competitive runners can start lacing up again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
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