Thank You, George Hirsch

George Hirsch has served as Chair of the NYRR Board of Directors since 2004. As he transitions to a new role as Chair Emeritus, all of us at NYRR celebrate George and his many contributions through the years.

George is a lifelong runner and a founder of the five-borough New York City Marathon in 1976. He was the worldwide publisher of Runner’s World magazine, the founding publisher and president of New York magazine, and the publishing director of Men’s Health magazine.

During George’s time as Chair of the Board, NYRR grew in many ways, leveraging the success of the New York City Marathon and other premier events to greatly expand its service to the community.

"George is an icon, known in running circles simply by his first name. And it's a well-deserved status. George's contributions to our industry and organization are indelible and one of a kind. Thank you, George!" said Nnenna Lynch, who succeeds George as Chair of the Board.

"I’ve been privileged to begin my tenure as NYRR CEO under George’s board leadership, and I’m truly in awe of the impact he has made on the organization," said NRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer. "I look forward to continuing to have him as a mentor and friend as he transitions to the role of Chair Emeritus."

“One of George’s greatest strengths is that he’s constantly learning,” said Mary Wittenberg, NYRR’s CEO from 2005 to 2015. “I think that’s very much the approach he’s had at New York Road Runners, which is, let’s be what the community needs us to be.”

Highlights of NYRR during George’s time as Chair of the Board include:

• NYRR’s youth programs grow to serve hundreds of thousands of kids, primarily through Rising New York Road Runners, a free comprehensive running-based youth fitness program.
• Other free community programs initiated during George's time as Chair include Open Run offering free community runs in NYC parks, Striders for older adults, Run for the Future for high school girls, a youth wheelchair training program, and more.
• The NYC Half launches in 2006 and becomes the country’s premier spring half-marathon. The Brooklyn Half, with an iconic finish at Coney Island, becomes the largest half marathon in the country with 25,000+ finishers in 2023.
• NYRR launches Five-Borough Series in 2014 to engage with every New York City borough.
• NYRR signs multiyear partnerships with TCS, New Balance, Mastercard, and others, and a broadcast deal with WABC and ESPN for the TCS New York City Marathon and other events.
• In 2020, NYRR hires first-ever SVP of Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Social Responsibility.

George guided NYRR as Chair of the Board of Directors for nearly two decades with incredible skill, leadership, and passion, and will continue to share his wisdom and experience. Watch the video above to learn more about George’s legacy and the appreciation of those who’ve worked alongside him and been inspired by him. Thank you, George!