Six Decades of New York Road Runners History: 1958-1970

In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, we have grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. We look forward to an exciting year of honoring our past and continuing to build our future as we fulfill our mission to help and inspire people through running.

The start of the fifth annual Cherry Tree Marathon, February 24, 1963, near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Humble Beginnings in the Bronx

On June 4, 1958, New York Road Runners was founded as the Road Runners Club–New York Association, or RRC–NYA, with 40-odd members who met in Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx and paid dues of just $3 a year.

Ted Corbitt, an African American and 1952 Olympian, was elected the club’s first president and opened membership to all races, genders, and running speeds. Still, in its early years, RRC–NYA was a small, insular group of serious, dedicated runners. The concept of the recreational or fitness runner was years in the future.

At its founding, the club’s mission was simple—work together to promote long distance running and increase the number of racing opportunities for its members. From the club’s first newsletter, it’s evident the group was thinking big: “...it should be possible to put on at least 35 races a year in the metropolitan area.”

In its first year, the RCA–NYA organized seven events, a mix of cross-country and road races, all taking place in the Bronx. The first, a six-mile cross-country race, was held on September 28, 1958 in Van Cortlandt Park, where NYRR today continues to host a series of cross-country events to honor its founding members. On February 22, 1959, RCA–NYA hosted the Cherry Tree Marathon, the predecessor to the New York City Marathon, where Ted Corbitt was crowned champion.

The start of the 5000m Regional Championship, May 31, 1964, Yonkers, NY. Soon-to-be Olympian Pete McArdle (far right) won in 14:17.2. Norbert Sander is third from left; he would win the 1974 New York City Marathon, revitalize The Armory in the 1990s, and serve on NYRR's board of directors until his death in 2017.

Small, But Determined

In the 1960s, the RCA–NYA faced many challenges, from precarious finances to inaccurately measured courses to squabbles with the Amateur Athletic Association (AAU), the national governing body of track and field. Membership barely moved out of double-digits for most of the early part of the decade. At times the RRC–NYA struggled simply to survive—one newsletter includes a heartfelt thanks to “the generous, extra support given to the RRC in the form of financial contributions and plain work of its members.”

Despite the difficulties, the organization continued to put on a variety of road and cross country races each year. Never mind that these events were often held in dangerous neighborhoods without road closures, course signage (meaning that getting lost was all too common), or refreshments—the fact that they existed at all meant that NYC runners no longer had to spend their weekends driving hours to a race. The RRC–NYA also sent runners to prestigious international competitions, including the storied London-to-Brighton Road Race, an ultramarathon of 52½ miles. The Fall 1964 issue of the RRC–NYA newsletter featured a report on that year’s event, in which Corbitt placed second, later presidents Nat Cirulnick and Aldo Scandurra were 14th and 24th, respectively, and the future champion of the inaugural New York City Marathon, Gary Muhrcke, was 34th. The newsletter attributes these successes to a two-year program of ultramarathon races—ranging from 30 miles to 40½ miles, mostly in NYC—"guided by” Scandurra.

The organization’s focus seems hopelessly narrow and parochial by today’s standards. The newsletters are limited primarily to race reports and dues reminders, with an odd smattering of advice on training (“no one should attempt this event without running slowly at least 2 runs above 45 miles”) and nutrition (“Of the numerous concoctions that are put together one can easily drink something that will cause the gut to rebel”), along with philosophical musings and an occasional inspirational quote (from 1962: “The pupil who is never required to do what he cannot do never does what he can do.” –J. S. Mill). Corbitt often exhorts members to support his groundbreaking efforts to improve course measurement, such as with this rallying cry in 1964: “Thus one of our immediate goals in the New York Association of the RRC is to get all courses checked and measured and certified by a national committee … We can set the pattern for other RRC Associations in the USA.”

Founding members Kurt Steiner, Ted Corbitt (president 1958-60), and Aldo Scandurra (president 1964-66).