Once Grete Waitz was a schoolteacher from Norway, but then she gave the world a run for its money in New York and found greatness in the five boroughs.
As inconceivable as it now seems, a mere 55 runners finished the first New York City Marathon in 1970, when the race was confined to Central Park and viewed as the sport of obsessed lunatics.
Participation grew as running became more popular. In 1976, the pack came out of the park and then, in 1978, Waitz stunned the city with her victory – and her world-record time of 2:32:30.
All of a sudden, marathoning became a mass sport. And year after year, Waitz was out in front, amazingly winning eight more times while also snagging an Olympic medal. Classy and in a class by herself, she became the celebrated face of a signature New York event.
A better one there couldn’t have been. Waitz died yesterday at the age of 57, a long-distance runner cut down midstride.
