Walt Murphy is one of the best trailers I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, a great daily service that provides truly fascinating stories about our sport. You can test the service for FREE with a one-month free trial subscription. (e-mail WaltMurphy44@gmail.com ) for the entire daily service. We’ll be posting a few historical moments every day starting February 1, 2024.
By Walt Murphy News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission
This day in the field of athletics – October 28
1966— Belgium’s Gaston Roelants set a world record of 58:06.2 20,000 meters and 20,664 meter hours in Leuven, Belgium. Australian Ron Clark set the previous record a year ago at 59:22.8/20,332 meters.
A look at past record holders: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/one-hour-run-world-record-history
1973 — The first all-women’s marathon was held in Waldeniel, West Germany, and was won by Christa Wahlensick in 2:59:25.6.
The success of that race was built on the following October when Dr. Ernst Van Aaken, a West German and champion of women’s running, sponsored the first international women’s marathon championships in the same city. Forty women from seven countries competed in this event. Two years later, when the race was completed again, the forty-five finishers represented nine countries. However, with the 1980 Summer Olympics on the horizon, Olympic organizers had yet to seriously consider creating a women’s marathon. Removed olympic marathon By Charlie Lovett.
http://www.marathonguide.com/history/olympicmarathons/chapter25.cfm
Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/6gfwqt3
Former world record holder Jacqui Hansen, who finished 5thth in the 1974 race, offers more on the history of women’s marathon running. Hansen, who was not selected for the US team, made it to Germany thanks to her friend and long-distance runner, actor Bruce Dern.
https://www.jacquelinehansen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/M+B-xx-16-1w_pix-Hansen.pdf
Noted running writer Joe Henderson hosted this marathon legends panel before the 2013 Napa Valley Marathon (Joan Benoit-Samuelson, Jacqui Hansen, Nina Kushik, Lauren Moller).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzvMSnunmgU
1984 – Despite stopping 8 times during the race due to oppressive humidity, Italian Orlando Pizzolato took an unannounced 15th victory.th NY City Marathon 2:14:53 (still the slowest ever to win a District 5 race). Norwegian Grete Weitz took 6thth Of the 9 women’s titles: 2:29:30. The following year Pizzolatto would win again in 2:11:34.
Due to the hot and humid weather (79F, 26C/96% humidity), the race was moved to the first Sunday in November starting in 1986. Many runners, including New Zealand’s Rod Dixon, the defending men’s champion, dropped out. race, and one man from France died of cardiac arrest.
“Dixon had a lot to lose by dropping out,” ABC race analyst Marty Liquori told the Washington Post. “But Rod knew he was too far. The smart ones stayed out, they knew they were in over their heads. Are you fighting a losing battle with the heat? It got to you.”
Runner Dave Murphy (2:15:36) thought he could catch Pizzolatto, but explained: When I saw him running again and I wasn’t closing fast enough, I knew I had to move. But when I accelerated, I suddenly felt completely dead. It was so frustrating. I felt like I could go faster, but the humidity meant I couldn’t. It was such a fine line. I was totally disappointed to finish second.”
Other notable graduates
Men4. Pat Petersen (USA) 2:16:35, 5. Gianni Demadonna (Italy) 2:17:05.
Women2.Veronique Marot (Great Britain) 2:33:48, 3.Laura Fogli (Italy) 2:37:25…5.Judy St. Hiller 2:37:49…8.Charlotte Teske (Germany) 2:41. 16…11. Gabriela Andersen-Schies (Switzerland) 2:42:24…23. Chantal Langlase (France) 2:51:59
Results:: https://results.nyrr.org/event/841028/finishers/1247019
Top 25:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_New_York_City_Marathon
(for subscribers): http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/falls-freak-marathon-weather
Washington Post coverage
ABC coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBoKrLINeUo
NYRR Hall of Fame: http://www.nyrr.org/about-us/nyrr-hall-of-fame/orlando-pizzolato
Previous winners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winners_of_the_New_York_City_Marathon
1993– 102:th Engineers Armory (168:th Street Armory) in Washington Heights, now known as the Nike T&F Center, has reopened as a running track after years of being used as a homeless shelter. The late Dr. Norbert Sander spearheaded the project, which ran at the Armory in high school (Fordham Prep) and college (Fordham) and won the 1974 New York City Marathon. (Gary Murke, the first winner of the New York City Marathon in 1970, was part of Sander’s “repair” team.) In 1995, the building was listed National Register of Historic Places.
The building also houses the National T&F Hall of Fame.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Sander said: “A dream has come true here today. However, the revival of Zenk could not have happened without our mayor David N. of Dinkins’ leadership and vision. As he and his progressive administration work closely with our state government, we now stand on this new path for New York’s youth. The Armory Track and Field Center is the beginning of a renaissance for the Fort Washington Armory, for our high school athletes across the city, and for the sport of track and field.”
Added Larry Ellis, USATF president at the time, “A little bit died in me when we lost the facility. This was the closed palace of track and field. (Ellis ran track at the Armory in the 40s and 50s at DeWitt Clinton High School and NYU, and later coached there at Jamaica High School.)
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/29/sports/armory-track-opens-again.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/22/nyregion/miles-to-go-in-this-old-armory.html
Weapons now and then(2011 article) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/nyregion/25armorytrack.html?_r=0
NY Times Obituary (Sander):
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/sports/norbert-sander-dead-nyc-marathon-winner.html
