A member of the NYRR Hall of Fame, Ted Corbitt (1919–2007) is honored each year at the NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K, where all finishers receive a medal to commemorate their run and the legacy of Ted Corbitt, and all entrants receive a New Balance shirt paying homage to the New York Pioneer Club.
Learn more about Ted Corbitt’s extraordinary life and legacy at the links below.
January 31, 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ted Corbitt, the founding president of New York Road Runners. In celebration, we spoke to Ted Corbitt’s son, Gary Corbitt, about his father’s life and legacy.
Competitive runner, ultra-running pioneer, physical therapist, inventor of accurate course measurement, and tireless advocate for inclusivity, Ted Corbitt left an invaluable legacy.
On July 27, 1952, in Helsinki, Ted Corbitt became the first Black American runner to represent the United States in the Olympic Marathon. Corbitt broke barriers as an athlete and worked throughout his life for diversity, equity, and inclusion in running.
Happy Birthday, Ted Corbitt
On January 31, we celebrate the birthday of Ted Corbitt (1919-2007), the founding president of NYRR. Without Ted, so much about running would not be what it is today — and NYRR wouldn’t be the organization it has become. As our first president, Ted established NYRR as a service organization for the community of runners, focused on New York but open to the world.
The New York Pioneer Club: A Civil Rights History
New York Road Runners became the diverse and inclusive organization it is today thanks to a Harlem track club. NYRR and the TCS New York City Marathon are a gift to the world from New York City’s Black community and the New York Pioneer Club of Harlem.
A Timeline of Black American Running History
Ted Corbitt was a towering figure in distance running, but he was not the first — or the only — Black American distance runner of historical significance. Black running history in America dates back to at least the 1870s and is both rich and deep.
Ted Corbitt and the Modern Marathon
Ted Corbitt’s many contributions — in leadership, technology, competition, training, and physical therapy — make him the single most effective individual in establishing the American marathon as a modern sport.
The Ted Corbitt Loop
In 2020, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation named the six-mile loop of Central Park the Ted Corbitt Loop. Corbitt himself circled the park many times in races and during training as he racked up 200,000 lifetime miles over his amazing career.
Celebrating NYRR’s First Race
New York Road Runners was founded in 1958, with Ted Corbitt serving as its first president. The organization staged seven cross-country and road races in its first year; the first, a six-mile cross-country race, was held on September 28, 1958 in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Connecting the Past to the Present at the NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K
The 2019 NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K celebrated Ted Corbitt’s legacy of serving the running community with a panel about the early days of NYRR, hosted by Corbitt's son,
Gary and featuring other descendants of NYRR's founding members.
