FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York City Marathon Legends Alberto Salazar, Nina Kuscsik, and
Miki Gorman to Be Honored as Second Class of NYRR Hall of Fame
Trio will join last year's inaugural class, former NYRR president Fred
Lebow and nine-time New York City Marathon winner Grete Waitz of Norway
New York, October 18, 2012-Three-time New York City Marathon champion
Alberto Salazar, who won consecutive titles from 1980 to 1982, and two-time
winners Nina Kuscsik and Miki Gorman will be inducted into the NYRR Hall of
Fame as its second class, it was announced today by New York Road Runners
president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
They will join last year's inaugural class, former NYRR president Fred
Lebow and nine-time New York City Marathon winner Grete Waitz of Norway.
New this year, the 2012 inductee's banners will be raised in Central Park
along with those of their predecessors during race week, lining the famed
finish line. The threesome will be officially inducted at the Hall of Fame
Ceremony on Thursday, November 1, at the ING New York City Marathon Media
Center presented by Timex at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony is an annual part of
race week festivities leading up to the Marathon.
"Alberto, Nina, and Miki have each made such prominent and noteworthy
advances in the world of distance running, and we are honored to induct
them into our Hall of Fame," said Wittenberg. "They will forever be an
integral part of NYRR and the spectacle that the marathon is today. Nina
and Miki are brave athletes, opening endless doors and opportunities for
female runners, and Alberto's legacy lives on, shining through in America's
best runners due to his unparalleled coaching abilities."
Salazar, 54, made his biggest impact on distance running in the early
1980s. In his first-ever marathon, he ran 2:09:41, the fastest American
debut in the New York City Marathon at the time. He went on to win the race
for the next two consecutive years. Salazar also won the 1982 Boston
Marathon. He qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon team in 1980 and 1984
and set American records for 5000 meters and 10,000 meters on the track and
five miles on the road. In 1994, he won the Comrades 56-mile ultramarathon
in South Africa.
In his post-racing career, Salazar has remained dedicated to his passion,
coaching some of America's best distance runners, including Galen Rupp,
Dathan Ritzenhein, Alan Webb, and Kara Goucher, as well as 2012 double
Olympic champion Mo Farah of Great Britain. Salazar was inducted into the
University of Oregon's Hall of Fame in 1997, and he continues to inspire
the running world, serving as a driving force behind many athletes'
success.
"I feel very honored to be inducted into the NYRR Hall of Fame," said
Salazar. "The three New York City Marathons I won were the highlight of my
career, and I feel privileged to continue to be associated with the
greatest marathon in the world."
Kuscsik, 73, is a New York City Marathon icon; she is the first woman ever
to run the world's most well-known race, which she won twice. Kuscsik is
also the first woman to officially win the Boston Marathon. She has
completed 80 marathons in her lifetime.
Not only was Kuscsik a successful athlete; she made vast strides on behalf
of women's distance running, pushing the AAU to allow female participants
in their races. Kuscsik was also part of the team that petitioned the IAAF
to include a women's marathon in the Olympic Games. She also helped
legendary NYRR president Fred Lebow found the NYRR New York Mini 10K.
"It is truly an unexpected, extremely meaningful honor to be told that I
will be inducted into the New York Road Runners Hall of Fame," said
Kuscsik. "With me always in my life as a runner are past and present
members of the New York Road Runners who were the essence of encouragement
for my treasured competitive running career; for learning and working on
changing the rules for women so we could run marathons officially, have
championships, and have the United States support the inclusion of the
women's Marathon in the Olympics."
Gorman, 77, overcame many challenges in her early childhood and moved to
the United States From Japan at the age of 28. She began running as an
adult, recognizing her talent later in life than most athletes.
Gorman won the 1976 and 1977 New York City Marathons, and 35 years later,
she remains the last American woman to win the race. She is the first and
only woman to have won both the New York City and Boston marathons twice
apiece. In 1978, Gorman broke the world record in the half-marathon with a
time of 1:15:58. She was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall
of Fame in 2010 and has been recognized worldwide for her advances in
women's running.
On being inducted to the NYRR Hall of Fame, the very humble Gorman said, "I
am not quite sure if I deserve to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I am
glad my personal best was set in New York, but the time wasn't fast enough.
It was only my fifth marathon, and a year and nine months after I gave
birth to my daughter Danielle. I should have set the ultimate goal much
higher in order to keep pursuing more from distance running."
About NYRR
New York Road Runners was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate
runners vowed to bring running to the people. Over the past 54 years, NYRR
has grown from a local running club to the world's premier community
running organization. NYRR's mission is to empower everyone, of all ages
and abilities-beginners and competitive athletes, the young and the
elderly, adult professionals and underserved schoolchildren-to improve
their health and well-being through the power of running and fitness.
NYRR's races, community events, instruction and training resources, and
youth programs give hundreds of thousands of people each year the
motivation, know-how, and opportunity to start running and keep running for
life. NYRR's premier event, the famed ING New York City Marathon, attracts
the world's top pro runners and committed amateurs alike while also raising
millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for
the City. But NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow,
passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire more
than 100,000 kids in underserved communities in New York City, all 50
states, and around the world.
Headquartered in New York City, NYRR implements a unique nonprofit model
that teams contributed and earned income to make all its efforts possible.
To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org
###
|
