Athletic Testimonials
Ted Corbitt A National Treasure
Ted Corbitt is a national treasure. It is time that he receives the recognition that sometimes eludes those who labor tirelessly, methodically but often outside that firmament of shooting and shining stars.
As a long-time sports reporter and editor at the New York Times, whose duties often involved track and field and the Olympics, it was easy to take Ted Corbitt for granted as the quiet voice of reason, even if his life-long athletic pursuits often took on an almost mystical magic. How many mortals would venture into ultra-marathon races as if they were a stroll around Central Park? Or a 24-hour run at age 54?
To know Ted Corbitt was to love Ted Corbitt. Not so much because he was this glorious Olympic champion--he never was--but because, as Robert Lipsyte, the esteemed columnist for The New York Times, once wrote, he was the "spiritual elder of the modern running clan." For Lipsyte, often cynical of athletes in his SportsWorld, this was the highest order of praise.
It is also not enough to simply wrap Ted Corbitt's genius around the countless statistical compilations that accompanied his running career. He was a visionary whose soul burrowed deeply into the psyche of all aspects of running--from training through therapy and even administration. One of the most unsung books in running's vast library is a 154-page biography entitled simply "Corbitt," written by John Chodes and published in 1974. It is a classic exercise that captures not only Corbitt's interesting career but offers a 20-page appendix, authored by physiotherapist Corbitt of invaluable training tips ranging from treating injuries to "if you must race in hot weather..."
Because long-distance running did not emerge for the masses until the mid-1970s, Corbitt could not enjoy the familiarity of such champions as Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar and Grete Waitz. But a conversation with him was almost like a Talmudic experience--thoughtful, reverent and layered with multi-dimensional insight. Small wonder that the five-borough New York City Marathon course, which he helped devise, became such a benchmark for other cities to emulate and a fair, far-sighted challenge for runners around the world.
Ted Corbitt passed away in 2007. My respect for him has grown even larger since his death, as if he has become the standard by which we can measure total achievement in a sport. The only way to honor him even more is to bring his spirit before as many Americans as possible, to celebrate his class, character and quiet charisma.
Neil Amdur
New York Times Sports Reporter & Editor
When I was 17 years old (1965) I wrote Ted Corbitt who was a world class runner living in New York. I told him I wanted to run a marathon but I didn't know what to do. He wrote back and gave me a lot of information. He encouraged me to fulfill my dreams. I started a running magazine that became Runner's World within the year. I never met Ted but we wrote a lot over the early years. I have never forgotten this. I am leaving Wednesday to go back to NY and to run the Ted Corbitt 15k Classic on Saturday. Ted passed a few years ago and I am doing this race in tribute to him and his son, Gary!
Bob Anderson
Founder of Runner’s World
I had the honor to work with Ted Corbitt over the years in a variety of capacities with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). Ted was one of the founders and early leaders of the RRCA. Besides being an elite athlete who broke physical and racial barriers, he gave back to the sport administratively in many ways.
Ted was a thoughtful, gentle soul who was a true running icon.
Jeff Darman
Road Running Pioneer
Legends
When we think of a legend we may think of a historical story which may be of known or unknown origins and could have some embellishment added. Usually the protagonist or main character of a story or of some other important events can be referred to as a legend as well. Regardless of how we describe what or who a legend is, a legend usually is intended to inspire us, motivate us or uplift us in some way, shape or form.
Of the many great people which I have met through Sri Chinmoy, who himself is a great legend in many fields of endeavor, the ones that inspire me the most are some of the legendary runners. Since I have been a regular runner for four decades and have focused on long distance racing for almost as long, I always took advantage of the valuable motivation offered by some of the running legends of our time, most of whom are still alive, but some who have unfortunately passed away.
The traditional 26.2 mile or 42 km Marathon is a race which has inspired millions around the world for over half a century. In the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany in 1972 an American runner by the name of Frank Shorter won the gold medal in the Marathon. This single event inspired many runners of that era to train for and run marathons. Since then hundreds of marathons have been administered in the U.S. and in the world in general with millions of runners of all standards to attempt this long distance feat of strength, speed and determination.
But even before the ‘marathon fever’ began with legends such as Frank Shorter, one of the greatest long distance running legends of all time was Ted Corbitt. This quiet spoken and humble runner from South Carolina who later made his home in New York City started running marathons well before most people even knew what this distance was. Although the Marathon officially started in the late 19th century in the modern Olympic Games instituted in Greece and was an annual tradition in Boston, Mass., U.S.A. since 1896, it was not widely accepted by long distance runners until the televised Olympics in the 70’s helped to popularize it.
In 1952, in the Helsinki Olympics, Ted Corbitt ran for the U.S. Olympic Team in the Marathon along with another running legend, Emil Zatopek. The latter made legendary history by winning gold in the 5 km, 10km and Marathon races all in this one Olympics. He had never run a marathon race before this one but still had the strength and speed to win it after winning the other two races days before.
Ted did not have a good race in this 1952 Olympics marathon. Nevertheless, he went on to run and win many marathons since then. In January 1954, he won the Philadelphia Marathon, the first of his four wins there. In May 1954, he won the Yonkers Marathon, becoming the U.S. National Marathon Champion. At various times, Corbitt held the U.S. track records for distances of 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles and 24 hours. He remained a nationally competitive runner well into his fifties.
For many years, Corbitt ran more than 20 miles a day from his home in Yonkers, a New York City suburb, to his office in downtown Manhattan. On some days, he also ran home. At his peak, Corbitt ran up to 200 miles a week, far more than almost any other distance runner. Corbitt ran most of his miles at a fast pace. One workout he often ran involved 17 miles on the track, followed by 13 miles on roads. One week in 1962, Corbitt ran 300 miles. He then traveled to England and competed in the 54 mile London to Brighton road race, finishing fourth.
In 1998, Corbitt was among the first five runners to be inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Corbitt was also inducted into the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame, on its inauguration in April 2006.
In 2001 at the age of 82 Ted walked 302 miles in 6 days at the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Six Day Race, over 50 miles a day! In 2003, at 84, Corbitt completed a 24-hour race by walking 68 miles, finishing 17th in a field of 35. Some runners were awed by his presence; others had no idea who he was. I was fortunate to be in this race as well and spent some time walking with Ted as he told me some of his ‘secrets’.
At 87, he was still volunteering at ultramarathon races in New York and sometimes even competing. He continued to treat physiotherapy patients. At the time of his death, Corbitt had embarked on a project to walk all the streets of Manhattan.
Having met Ted in 1978 and having the honor and privilege of running and walking with him in various races since then I could truly say, just as every other runner who ever knew him may agree, that he was a legend of legends in the running world. Still others knew him as a legendary physical therapist who knew firsthand all the possible injuries and pains, especially those of runners, and consequently how to successfully treat them. Yet his legendary status did not stem just from his outer accomplishments but also from his humble and unassuming personality.
Perhaps the words of Sri Chinmoy in this song dedicated to Ted Corbitt best personify the true legendary status of this great soul.
“Ted Corbitt, Ted Corbitt, Ted!
Runner-world revolution-head.
O softness-runner-saint,
Measureless miles your legs did paint.
A brave champion is found
In Heavenly Silence-Sound.”
I must say from a strictly personal point of view that among all of the running legends of our era that I was fortunate enough to meet and spend time with, as well as all those who I never got to meet but was nevertheless deeply inspired by, Ted Corbitt stands out as the most legendary of all time. If one wanted to best define what or who a legend truly is I must say that Ted Corbitt is a name synonymous with the definition of ‘Legend’.
Arpan DeAngelo
Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team
I can't remember when I first met Ted Corbitt, but it was probably in the mid- to late-1950s. He was just one of the guys you bumped into at the few long distance running events the US had at that time. And there were only a few of us running those events, so everybody knew everybody else. Notice that I said "one of the guys," not "one of the black guys." This was before the era of the Kenyans and well before the era of High Demographics with $250 entry fees. I'm going to suggest that there were more blacks in running back in the 1950s and 1960s than today. A higher percentage at least. Guys like Ted Corbitt and Oscar Moore and Harold Harris, the last one of my regular training partners from the University of Chicago Track Club. This was during an era when if you traveled through the South (including Jacksonville, FL), you encountered "Whites Only" signs in front of rest rooms, and there were Jim Crow laws so if a "Negro" sat down on a seat in a lunch room, he would get knocked off it by someone wielding an axe handle. Not in the long distance running world, one of the few areas of America where some level of equality existed. Ted was part of that scene and, in fact, one of the leaders in that scene.
I've long prided myself as being the oldest contributor to Runner's World. Bob Anderson founded that publication in 1966 while he was still in high school in Kansas. His first issue was little more than a newsletter, then called Distance Running News, with maybe a couple of hundred readers. For his second issue, Anderson approached me to see if I would contribute something. The previous year, I had written an article on Ted Corbitt competing in the London to Brighton Race. Ted came close to winning it, placing second. Sports Illustrated bought the article, but never ran it, so I dug the piece out of my files and gave it to Anderson. My article on Ted Corbitt thus appeared in the second issue of the magazine that would become Runner's World.
I still remember the last time I saw Ted. It was at a party sponsored by Runner's World before the New York City Marathon, and Ted was among several runners given awards as "Heroes of the Year." Because of the crowds, I couldn't get near him immediately after he accepted his award. I saw Ted leaving and moved to chase him, but several individuals stopped me. I tried to be polite, chatting with each briefly, but by the time I had worked my way from the back to front of the room, Ted had disappeared. I was disappointed about missing my opportunity for a Last Goodbye, because I knew he was ailing Then Gary came back into the restaurant and said, "My father's in the car."
He was seated in the back seat. We shared a few words, a few memories, but Ted never was much of a conversationalist. His smile said enough. We parted and the limousine drove away. Within a few months, he was dead. Ted Corbitt was at the heart of a long distance running movement that is such a powerful force in participant sports today. It is a cliché, but true to say he will be missed. He already is.
HAL HIGDON
Running Pioneer
Author-Artist-Coach
Ted Corbitt was a personal inspiration to me and too many people who started running more than four decades ago. Back then there were not too many runners and most people took little interest in long distance running. Except for ourselves, of course. Like any community of people we had our own heroes and no one loomed larger than Ted. He was already beyond his peak as a champion runner who ran in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. But he still trained and raced at a level that almost all of us could only dream about. His achievements at the marathon and longer distance events are legion over a long span of years. Yet what I remember most of all was his incredible modesty. Ted simply recoiled at the idea of speaking about himself. I once ran one of his famous 31 mile loops around Manhattan Island with him shortly after he had returned from running the RRC of England 100 Mile Invitational. Ever the journalist, I kept asking Ted questions about the race and my recollection is that getting him to speak of his accomplishments was akin to getting information from a reluctant witness.
Back in the day, Ted was our primary source of information on all things to do with running: Should I wear long sleeves today? How much should I drink during the race? What should I do about this nagging pain in my hip? Ted in his quiet way was always there to help.
This world class runner had all the class in the world.
George A. Hirsch
Worldwide publisher Runner’s World magazine
Today the music has died…………………….for the running community and for humanity. Ted Corbitt has sadly passed away at the age of 88 at the MD Anderson Center in Houston, TX. He bravely was fighting a personal battle against cancer, but had developed heart and respiratory complications which could not be cured.
I was able to visit Ted this past Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It was heartbreaking to see this giant of a man in a hospital bed. When he first saw me, he amusingly asked, “You flew?” I am a notorious bad flyer, and Ted had witnessed some of my previously anxieties. I responded, “Weren’t you glad that you weren’t in the seat next to me.”
I greatly thank you for all your heartfelt messages, and so did Ted. He was not able to read them, so I read each one to him with a brief introduction of the “writer” of each message. Your words were very comforting.
We all know his legendary feats as a runner, but he was even a far greater person.
He was a humanitarian. One of his great gifts was not to prejudge people just as he would not want to be prejudged. He accepted you for who you were and allowed you to be yourself.
He was healer…………… and dedicated his life to provide cure and comfort to the critically disabled and injured. He was still treating patients just before his latest illness.
He was a scholar. He had a great propensity to “learn” no matter the subject matter. His own success, whether it was cerebral or physical, was due to that desire to learn. And how he could apply the newly-found information the next time.
He was a marvel. How he would push his limits no matter the obstacles. Even as an octogenarian, he walked 303 miles in 6 days while enduring shin splints. Life was a series of tests for him, and it was the partaking that was the most important not the passing or failing.
He led by example every single day, and his character, dedication, kindness and values all touched our lives. We are richer to know him or know of him.
May he always live in peace and be blessed by God. I will greatly miss him.
Love, Rich Innamorato
Broadway Ultra Society
Once more around the track –
A victory lap.
Though death’s come up on the inside lane.
Never lay your body down.
There is no finish.
There is no line.
Once more around the track,
Let us see your serenest of smiles.
Let us celebrate your sinew and muscle
and marvel at your workman’s gait.
Your refusal to wait.
And your absolutely indefatigable
commitment to
Once more around the track.
Father, friend, hero.
Long distance visionary.
Healer with the gentle laugh.
May we run with you?
May we know that same breeze
humming through our ears?
May we know what you think,
Or don’t think about
As you log 50, 70, 100 miles,
As you put heel to ground,
As you beat the sound of your humanity.
Into the yielding earth?
Once more around the track
Sage, mentor, idol.
Who says we can’t run the distance?
You did for 88 years.
Who says pain is an obstacle?
It was never enough reason to not do
Once more around Manhattan Island
Once more London to Brighton
Once more around the Olympic track.
So may we carry your torch.
Athlete, scientist, therapist, gentleman?
May we cheer your name, Ted?
May we catch a last glimpse of you doing
Once more around the track?
Forgive us if we lay your body down.
Forgive us if we follow your spirit
Once more around the track
Before we dry our eyes
And call it a day.
Caleen Sinnette Jennings - 12/13/07
I started running in 1967 and then went to my first race, the Boston Marathon in 1969. In Boston there were runners from New York who told me about the Yonkers Marathon and that there were other races near New York City. I started going to some of the races and met the runners who were all men. When I met Ted Corbitt, I had no idea what I would start to learn about this quiet man’s fantastic accomplishments. I couldn’t believe how he ran and ran through the streets of New York City. Then I learned about his running accomplishments and also what a leader he was in race certification. My understanding is that the course measurement certification all began with him. Then I learned that he was also a Physical Therapist. I was a registered nurse since 1957 and saw physical therapy in the hospital. When I visited Ted Corbitt’s office and saw how he evaluated and treated patients, I learned that he was a leader in this practice. Slowly the physical therapy practice began to catch up some!
Ted had such a quiet demeanor; I always wondered what was going on in his head. At times we corresponded in writing. When we attended New York Road Runners Club board meetings, Ted was usually quiet, but when he spoke everyone turned to him in order not to miss a word that he had to say. His views were so much valued.
We shared January as our birthday month and to me that was always so special.
Nina Kuscik
Running Pioneer
Running legend,
Pioneer of ultra-marathoning,
Olympian,
Master physical therapist,
Scientist,
Extra-ordinary human being,
Sage,
Humbleness yields glory
Ted Corbitt,
The Life Story
Running in the fields as a boy,
Young Ted ran as far as the eye could see,
Later in life his fields were fenced in,
He ran and ran to re-define the boundaries,
To follow his baseball hero,
Ever so cunning,
Ted Corbitt
The Jackie Robinson of Long Distance Running.
To become a legend,
One must first become a champion,
A Champion may fall to the ground,
But he will continue to fight round after round,
That’s why they call him champ.
A Legend is an extension of a champion,
An honorary title given by the people,
It cannot be bought or begged for on one knee,
Originating deep within the soul,
Shining bright for all to see,
If you were blessed to cross Ted’s path,
Then you can’t help but smile like me,
His secret,
“Just Be.”
Complete understanding,
What else can we say?
The goal is to reach your level,
On the mountain of self-actualiziation,
What the Japanese call, “The Way.”
His soul runs freely,
Flowing like poetry on the road,
Because he inspired so many,
His story will always be told,
The Father of Long Distance Running,
Behold,
Silent Brahmin,
Saint of the Road.
Jack Mantione
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Ted Corbitt was one of the most remarkable men of his generation. Period.
His achievement in making the US Olympic marathon team in 1952 as an Afro-American distance runner was notable, his major impact on developing the US Ultra and subsequently contesting the then de facto World Ultra Championships – the London to Brighton was important, he was among the leading two or three runners each time he ran. He also set numerous US Ultra track records. He was, in my opinion, the greatest American ultrarunner of the second half of the 20th century.
However it is his work in the RRCA, in developing the calibrated bicycle method of course measurement in the United States, following the pioneering work of John Jewell in England that is truly historic. It was to lead to the present day US Road Race Industry which is so influential worldwide.
It was when I was investigating how the word “Ultramarathon” came to be coined, that I got the true measure of the man. The reply I got back from him was probably the most detailed and well researched I have ever received. It was he who had actually coined the word, replacing the previous titles like Supermarathon etc.
Ted Corbitt was not just a great runner, not just a great athletics administrator; he was much more than that.
Andy Milroy
Running Statistician - Historian - Author
Ted Corbitt was such an amazing man. He said little, yet when you were with him somehow you knew you were in the presence of true greatness. There seem to be vibrations an unspoken language that on very rare occasion communicates a truth of such depth that words could not express it.
Ted Corbitt was a great runner, but I have met many great runners. He is much more than that, he was great human being. I have met very few of them. I pride myself in having known him and having recognized his greatness the first time I talked to him at the Shanahan Marathon in 1955. That letter that he sent to you when you were a college student reminds me of the advice he gave me that remarkable day. He has been and will always be a giant figure in my life. Whenever I face a big challenge, I always think of how Ted would face it. This gives me quiet strength. I am so fortunate to have known him as a mentor and friend.
Tom Osler
Professor - Author
Running Pioneer
Theodore (Ted) Corbitt
Theodore (Ted) Corbitt was of seminal importance in the history of long-distance running, in the United States and globally, and a figure of lasting national significance as an African American pioneer. He achieved sporting success, was a high-level and creative administrator, and earned universally high personal esteem, in a field that almost no African Americans had previously entered.
Corbitt represented the United States well in the 1952 Olympic marathon, the first African American to achieve selection for that event. His running career was very long and highly distinguished, winning major marathons, setting American records at several distances from 25 miles up, and placing second on three occasions in what was the effective world championship of ultra-running, the London to Brighton race in UK.
More important, however, are his contributions to the promotion and organization of the sport, and to technical and scientific-medical knowledge about it. He the founding president of the New York Road Runners; now the most powerful and important running organization in the world. He was the third president of Road Runners Club of America. He was sought after as an expert physiotherapist whose ideas influenced a generation of sports medicine. He was globally respected as a pioneer of the precise technical art of course measurement.
All this was achieved in spite of belonging to a generation of African Americans who still faced many discriminatory barriers. The true importance of Ted Corbitt was that he was universally admired as one of the true leaders of his sport – one that is now a major industry and social movement that involves millions of people worldwide, thanks to the selfless leadership of Corbitt's generation.
As an international historian, I can vouch for Corbitt's importance, most especially in the context of African American development, but also in contributing crucially to the creation of what is perhaps the largest and most positive cultural movement of our era. It is, however, a movement in which African Americans are still seriously under-represented, a fact that strengthens the case for Corbitt's position as a role model to be recognized.
I am an author of books on the culture of running, a journalist, and professor emeritus of literature. I met Ted Corbitt originally when he was one of the first inductees in the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. I strongly support the proposal to establish an exhibit on his life and work, to include the related contribution of the New York Pioneer Athletic Club.
Roger Robinson PhD (Cambridge)
Professor Emeritus, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Senior Writer, “Running Times”
Ted Corbitt from the University of Cincinnati
The first time I met Ted Corbitt was at a basketball game following his induction into the University of Cincinnati Athletic Hall of Fame. Since I had been at Ohio State that afternoon for a meet, I missed the induction but I very much wanted to meet him. All runners my age either knew Ted or knew of him so to meet someone with that fame was extra special. I spoke to him for about ten minutes and found him to be very quiet and extremely modest. The setting at a basketball game was not the best place to converse with the soft-spoken Ted Corbitt, yet I was very impressed that he was so cordial to me and appreciated that I had sought him out. In actuality it was I who was honored and left that conversation knowing that I had talked with someone unique. That Monday others in the athletic department were raving about his speech.
The next time I encountered Ted was at the Thanksgiving Day race in Cincinnati on a cold and snowy day. I had read in the Cincinnati Enquirer that he was planning to walk the 10K distance since he no longer ran, so I looked for him at the finish line. I went up to him and introduced myself, speaking to him a little. I asked him where he was staying and how he planned to get there and he said he was staying with his sister and he planned to ride a bus, just like he got to the race. Naturally I invited him to ride with my family and it was quite a treat to have Ted in my car. He talked about running in Cincinnati as a boy at a time when no one ran on the streets of any city. He lived in the West End and ran up a steep hill to UC then down that hill home. Running to a destination was a way of life event then as he augmented his official training with natural running, much like the Kenyans do on a daily basis. He also mentioned he had run 9.9 for 100 yards before he caught the distance-running bug. He quietly told stories about his life in Cincinnati, very happy to share them with someone else.
My final encounter with Ted was at a reunion for University of Cincinnati track and cross country athletes and alumni at the Netherland Plaza Hotel downtown following a home meet. Since we invited our alumni to come and I was so happy Ted had taken the time to travel from New York City to our event. Naturally he sat with his sister far from the speaker’s podium but I asked him if he would say a few words. Knowing that he would not toot his own horn I did research on Ted and presented him with an introduction summing up his running and working life. Long before I was done the audience gave him a standing ovation, something I have never seen before or since. Ted spoke so softly that most in the crowd did not hear much of what he said, yet he was still the most memorable person that night. For someone to have done so much but brag so little was noteworthy in itself.
I have thought of Ted many times and have kept his story alive with our team. He is like no one else in his devotion to running but mainly in his assistance of others. Many wonderful athletes grace the University of Cincinnati Hall of Fame, including Oscar Robertson, but I consider Ted Corbitt to be the greatest of all the Bearcats.
Bill Schnier
University of Cincinnati Track & Cross Country Coach
Ted Corbitt’s contributions to the sport of road running cannot be overemphasized. He was instrumental in the creation of the Road Runners Club of America and the New York Road Runners’ (NYRR-the world’s largest single running organization). But his contributions are not limited to organizational skills. He was a world class distance runner and competed in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics for the U.S. in 1952. Perhaps he is best known for what he had done for the accurate measuring of road running courses. Before Ted introduced the concept of measuring courses using a bicycle and counter, no one could be sure that the distance stated for any course was actually as it was stated even for the Olympic marathons.
I was very fortunate to have had Ted as a friend and mentor in my position as technical director of the NYC Marathon and COO of the NYRR and then as CEO and president of NYRR and head of the NYC Marathon.
Due to Ted’s mentoring in course measuring, I was able to use that knowledge to influence the US Track and Field Federation to adopt Ted’s methods. Additionally, with the help of Chris Brasher the co-founder and co- director of the London Marathon we were able to convince the international body of track and field (the IAAF-International Association of Athletic Federations-they are the group that overseas track and field in the Olympics) to make Ted’s measuring technique the official and only system to be used worldwide when laying out and measuring road running courses including those for the Olympics.
The sport of road running now has many tens of millions of participants worldwide and it is a sport full of statistics, finishing times, pace per mile/kilometer and many others. I cannot fathom how these many runners would react if the advertized courses were not actually the distance that is stated. It is only thanks to Ted Corbitt’s dedication and perseverance that we now have a worldwide, standardized method.
Allan Steinfeld
President New York Road Runners
Race Director New York City Marathon
Besides being an African American Olympic marathoner in 1952, a time when marathon running was far from integrated, Ted Corbitt was the quiet, tireless founder of the measurement and course certification system which allows millions of runners today to know that the courses they run -- be it the Boston Marathon or their local Turkey Trot 5K -- have been accurately measured. This is his remarkable and enduring legacy.
Phil Stewart
President Road Race Management
I first met Ted Corbitt in the locker room at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Later, we would race together on the Sedgewick Avenue course at various distances from the four mile distance to the Cherry Tree Marathon.
In the late 60's Ted was tested for his Max V02 at the Human Performance Lab at Ball State University under Dr. David Costill. His work capacity caused one of the cardiologists to faint during the test. They also discovered his quiet strength in a personality profile which those of us in New York City already knew.
Ted's contributions to the sport of road running were many. I am thankful he touched my life and we will miss him.
Ed Winrow
Professor, coach, and athlete
I was associated with Ted over many years, during which I went from a graduate student to a university professor (U of Arizona). Perhaps my most significant interaction with Ted was around 1980 when I visited Ted in NYC with a plan to add four final signatories that would greatly reduce the load that Ted had been carrying by himself. The demand for certified courses had increased markedly over the preceding few years and I could see the demand increasing still further. I visited Bob Campbell in Boston first. Bob was the Men's LDR chair at that time. Bob gave his blessing. I then visited Ted. I remember sitting with Ted on the steps outside the NYRRC offices. Ted agreed and we named four additional final signatories. Within a couple of years, this led to the formation of the Road Running Technical Committee and the involvement of Pete Riegel.
About this same time, Ted came up with the "short course prevention factor" to add 0.1% to the race distance to help insure that the course was at least the stated distance. This was an important step in legitimizing road records. I saw the importance of this immediately and backed Ted fully on this. Without Ted's work over the years, a lot of what we take for granted today in the sport of road racing would not exist.
Ken Young
Association of Road Racing Statistician