Olympic Marathoner Remembered 10 Years After His Death
by Melanie Eversley
It’s a raw morning in Manhattan and snow flurries
cut diagonally across a scene in Central Park. A crowd gathers around a
tall black runner as he crosses a finish line on glistening pavement.
The man is Gary Corbitt, son of the late Theodore “Ted” Corbitt, the
“father of long distance running.”
Although
it’s cold enough to numb fingers, the mood is warm. Everyone wants to
take a picture with Gary Corbitt, the closest connection they can make
with Ted Corbitt, an Olympian and pioneer in physical healing and race
course measurement.
Outside of the running world, many have never heard of Ted Corbitt, who
died 10 years ago on Dec. 12th. after battling cancer at age 88. Not
only did the soft-spoken Corbitt avoid attention but he never got the
same recognition as other running pioneers. Now, thanks to the efforts
of Corbitt’s son and others, word is getting out about him. The Ted
Corbitt 15K race in New York named after him is an annual rite for
runners of all cultures.
Sources: NBC News and nyrrvideo
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