Ted Corbitt

Ted Corbitt

Corbitt, bib number 999, running in the marathon at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland
Personal information
Born	(1919-01-31)January 31, 1919 Dunbarton, South Carolina
Died	December 12, 2007(2007-12-12)(aged 88) Houston, Texas
Alma mater	New York University
Occupation	Physical Therapist
Sport
Sport	Long distance running
Club	New York Road Runners
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	Marathon, 44th place

Ted Corbitt(January 31, 1919 – December 12, 2007)was an American long-distance runner. The firstAfrican-Americanto run themarathonat theSummer Olympics(the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland) and the founding president ofNew York Road Runners,Corbitt is often called "the father of American long distance running."He was also anultramarathonpioneer, helping to revive interest in the sport in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.New York Timescolumnist Robert Lipsyte called Corbitt a "spiritual elder of the modern running clan".In aRunner's Worldfeature honoring lifetime achievement, writer Gail Kislevitz called Corbitt a "symbol of durability and longevity".Corbitt was among the first five runners to be inducted into theNational Distance Running Hall of Fame,and the first to be inducted intothe American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame.

Personal and professional life

The grandson of slaves, Corbitt was born on a cotton farm nearDunbarton, South Carolina.He graduated fromWoodward High Schoolin 1938 and attended theUniversity of Cincinnati,where he received a bachelor's degree in education in 1942.He ran shorter track events in high school and college. Due to the racial discrimination common at the time, he was sometimes banned from track meets when white athletes refused to compete against him, nor was he sometimes able to stay in the same lodgings while traveling to competitions, even in the South during the 1950s. After army service inWorld War II,Corbitt earned a graduate degree inphysical therapyon theG.I. BillfromNew York University,where he later lectured. He also taught atColumbia Universityfor several years.He was a physiotherapist for more than 40 years, and served as the chief physical therapist at the International Center for the Disabled.

Racing and training

Corbitt joined the nation's first integrated running organization, theNew York Pioneer Club,in 1947.In 1951, he completed his first of 22 Boston Marathons, in 2:48.42.He competed in theMarathonat the1952 Summer OlympicsinHelsinki.In January 1954, he won thePhiladelphia Marathon,the first of his four wins in that city's event. In May 1954, he won theYonkers Marathon,becoming the U.S. National Marathon Champion. At various times, Corbitt held the U.S.distance runningrecords for 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He remained a nationally competitive runner well into his fifties, untilbronchial asthmalimited his ability to compete at the elite level.On April 15, 1974, Corbitt finished his lastBoston Marathonat age 55. His time of 2:49:16 was only 34 seconds slower than his 1951 time. In the 1974 race, he wore patches and wires on his chest for a medical experiment done by San Francisco physician-researcher and pioneer female marathoner,Joan Ullyot.He competed in 223 marathons in his extended career.

For many years, Corbitt ran more than 20 miles a day from his home near Broadway and the Harlem River, inThe Bronx,New York City, to his office in downtownManhattan.On some days, he also ran back home. At his peak, Corbitt ran up to 200 miles a week, far more than almost any other distance runner, though workouts by his English contemporary,Arthur Keily,mirrored his exhausting regimen. Corbitt ran most of his training miles at a fast pace. One of his standard workouts involved running 17 miles on a track, followed by 13 miles on roads. During one week in 1962, Corbitt ran 300 miles. He then traveled to England and competed in the 54 mileLondon to Brighton road race,finishing fourth. In his final ultra-distance race, held in 2003, he completed 68 miles in a 24-hour race atQueens'Flushing Meadow Park.

Other contributions to running

Corbitt served as an unpaid official of many running organizations, including theAmateur Athletic Union.He was the co-founder and first president of the New York Road Runners and third President ofRoad Runners Club of America.He helped plan theNew York City Marathoncourse.He conceived of moving the marathon course from running several loops around Central Park to running through the city's five boroughs.Corbitt served on various boards and committees for over 50 years. He helped create the masters division for runners over 40.

In the early 1960s, Corbitt's influence was second to none in the adoption of precision measurement and certification of road race courses in the United States. Until that time, the practice had regularly been haphazard, with officials often simply driving a vehicle on a course and watching its speedometer. Corbitt's measurement method involved carefully calibrating a bicycle wheel, then riding the courses with it, mechanically counting the number of revolutions. This technique was based on the work of John Jewell ofGreat Britain.ThisJones Countermethod is still in use today.

In 2003, at 84, Corbitt completed a 24-hour race by walking 68 miles, finishing 17th in a field of 35. Some runners were awed by his presence; others had no idea who he was. At 87, he was still volunteering atultramarathonraces in New York and sometimes even competing. He continued to treat physiotherapy patients. At the time of his death, Corbitt had embarked on a project to walk all the streets of Manhattan.

Personal life and death

Corbitt never smoked and his only drink was a single can of beer while in the army. He practiced self-massage, carefully chewed every mouthful of food, and drank much water. He was a soft-spoken and gentle man who rarely spoke. He was an avid photographer and would attend many athletic events sporting a 35-mm camera until he died.

In 1946, he married Ruth Butler, whom he would remain married to until her death in 1989. They had one son, Gary.

Recognition

In 1998, Corbitt was among the first five runners to be inducted into theNational Distance Running Hall of Fame.Corbitt was also inducted into the AmericanUltrarunningHall of Fame, on its inauguration in April 2006.USATFhas named their annual "Men's Road Ultra Runner of the Year" award in his honor.In 2021,NYC Parksnamed a six-mile stretch ofCentral Parkthe "Ted Corbitt Loop".

Biographies

• Corbitt: The Story of Ted Corbitt, Long Distance Runnerby John Chodes,Ishi Press2010ISBN4-87187-315-3

External links

• Ted Corbitt: Father of Long Distance RunningRunning TimesAccessed 2009-10-08
• Marathon: Miles to Go and Promises to KeepNew York Times
• Ted Corbitt: An Ultrarunning PioneerUltrarunning Magazine
• Ted Corbitt's 1964 monograph on road race course measurement
• Website Dedicated to Preserving the Legacy of Ted Corbitt - the History of Track & Field and Long Distance Running