Trailblazers in Black History: Ted Corbitt

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.

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The video was published on YouTube on January 12, 2009. 

Sources: NBC News and nyrrvideo