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by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–November 3
TCS NY City Marathon
1991—Just two months after winning the 10,000-Meters at the World Championships in Tokyo, and less than a year after giving birth to daughter Eilish, Scotland’s Liz McColgan won the women’s race in 2:27:32, the fastest debut ever for the distance (at the time). Being a rookie in the event, McColgan, who said she was prepared to run 2:24, ran cautiously until she was challenged by Russia’s Olga Markova (2:28:27) with less than 4 miles to go. “I was surprised to see her,” McColgan said of Markova, who would finish 2nd. “She put me into action. For the first time, I was striding out and felt better for the last few miles than I had at any point during the race.” McColgan was named to the NYRR Hall of Fame in 2021.
Fading to 6th after being among the leaders for much of the race was Joan Benoit-Samuelson (2:33:48), the winner of the first Olympic Marathon for women in 1984.
It was a big day for Mexican men, who finished 1st (Salvador Garcia/2:09:28), 2nd (Andrés Espinosa/2:10:00), and 5th (Isidro Rico/2:11:58).
Garcia broke away from the field after 16 miles, with no one willing to go with him. Kenya’s Ibrahim Hussein, the 1987 winner, said, “There were so many people cheering on First Avenue. I just thought he was responding to the crowd. I have run this race before, so I let him go. I was wrong. It was a perfect move.” Hussein would finish 3rd in 2:11:07.
Other Notable Finishers (25,775 total)
Women: 3.Lisa Ondieki (Australia) 2:29:02, 4.Alena Peterková (CZE) 2:30:36
Men: 9. John Treacy (Ireland) 2:15:09…13.Juma Ikangaa (Tanzania/defending champion) 2:17:19
Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/911103/finishers/1389658
Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_New_York_City_Marathon
ABC Coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em-tbnCo4LM
Women’s Finish: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1826991310644294
1996—Winners this year were Italy’s Giacomo Leone (2:09:54) and Romania’s Anuța Cătună (2:28:18).
Other Notable Finishers
Men: 2. Tuma Turbo (Ethiopia) 2:10:09, 3.Joseph Kamau (Kenya) 2:10:40, 4.John Kagwe (Kenya) 2:10:59 (would win in 1997), 5.Andrés Espinosa (Mexico) 2:11:39, 6.Cosmas Ndeti (Kenya) 2:11:53, 7.Martin Fiz (Spain) 2:12:31…24.Joe McVeigh (1st American) 2:21:12; DNF-Stefano Baldini (Italy), Moses Tanui (Kenya)
Women: 2.Franca Fiacconi (Italy) 2:28:42, 3.Joyce Chepchumba (Kenya/would win in 2002) 2:29:38, 4.Kim Jones (USA) 2:34:46…7.Tegla Loroupe (Kenya/2-time defending champion) 2:37:19
Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/961103/finishers
Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_New_York_City_Marathon
Highlights(Includes a look at the 1st five-boro race in 1976): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dHdLbmGsjI
2002–For the first time in a major U.S. marathon, the women’s professional field in the New City Marathon started separately, 35 minutes before the professional men and the rest of the field. The separate women’s start highlighted race history’s most competitive women’s field. After three top-five finishes, Joyce Chepchumba (2:25:56) finally scored a victory. She was followed across the line by Russia’s Lyubov Denisova (2:26:17) and fellow Kenyan Esther Kiplagat (2:27:00). Legally blind Marla Runyan (2:27:10) was fourth, the highest placing by an American since Kim Jones’s runner-up finish in 1989. Other notable finishers included Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan (11th/2:32:06) and American Sylvia Mosqueda (12th/2:33:47)
The move to have separate starts for men and women this year was in sharp contrast to what took place at the 1972 race, when the six female entrants, protesting an AAU ruling that they had to start 10 minutes before their male counterparts, sat on the starting line before joining the men when they started! (The AAU was sued for discrimination when they added 10 minutes to the women’s times!).
As marathons grew in size and the quality of the women’s fields increased, it was felt that the women deserved their own time in the spotlight. It also eliminated the perception that women were being unfairly paced by men when the two genders competed together.
Following his Boston Marathon victory in April, Rodgers Rop (2:08:07) won a close men’s race over fellow Kenyan Christopher Cheboiboch (2:08:17). Other notable finishers in the men’s race included Italy’s Stefano Baldini (5th-2:09:12), who would win Olympic gold in 2004, former Providence star Mark Carroll of Ireland (6th-2:10:54), and future legend Meb Keflezighi, who finished 9th (2:12:35) in his debut at the distance! (31,838 finishers)
Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/NYC2002/customStatistics
Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_New_York_City_Marathon
NY Times Coverage-Women
NY Times Coverage-Men
A Look Back (2017): https://www.nerunner.com/2017/10/31/15-years-ago-nyc-marathon-put-women-first/
Women’s Start
Marla Runyan
ESPN’s 30 for 30/Six Who Sat: http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/25125394/qa-gretta-cohn-executive-producer-30-30-podcast-six-sat
