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ING NYC MARATHON, THE NEW GABARRON INTERNATIONAL AWARD OF SPORTS 2011:


“as a popular sports event that embodies the values of sport and the desire to better oneself. Being the paradigmatic dream of any sports fan, the New York City Marathon gathers thousands of runners from all over the world and is followed live by millions of spectators and more than 300 million TV viewers internationally.

Thousands of Spaniards have take part in this iconic race, and thousands more dream of taking part in the New York City Marathon, which all athletes wish to complete at some point in their lives.”


These were the words in the announcement of the jury decision for the Gabarron International Award of Sports 2011. The jury recognized the ING NYC Marathon relevance under the presidency of Mrs. Carmen Izquierdo Vergara, which met today in Valladolid, Spain. The jury for the Sports Category – including: Mr. Óscar Campillo Madrigal, Director of MARCA (Sport Media); The Honorable Mr. Carlos Escudero de Burón González, President of the Carlos III Foundation; Mrs. Carmen Izquierdo Vergara, President of the Spanish Association of Sports Media; Mr. José Luis Martín Alonso, Manager of ABC (Newspaper) in Castilla y León; Mr. José Miguel Ortega Bariego, President of the Federation of Sports Media in Castilla y León and President of the Sports Media Association in Valladolid and The Honorable Mr. Alejandro Royo-Villanova Payá, President of “Norte Casilla” (Newspaper)

History


Around the world, the word "marathon" evokes images of New York City. Before the New York race began, marathons were modest events run by a few athletes and followed by a few fans interested in the limits of human endurance. New York Road Runners and marathon co-founder Fred Lebow changed that. Today many marathons are huge media events that take over entire cities around the globe. None is as prominent as the ING New York City Marathon, but all city marathons are modeled on it. Modern marathoning owes its start -- and its world-class status -- to New York.

The first New York City Marathon, though, was a humble affair. In 1970, 127 runners paid the $1 entry fee to NYRR to participate in a 26.2-mile race that looped several times within Central Park. Fifty-five runners crossed the finish line.

When Lebow redrew the course through all five New York boroughs six years later, not everyone could appreciate his vision. But 2,090 runners lined up at the start for the chance to run from Staten Island through Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx to Manhattan. The expanded course attracted two-time Olympic marathon medalist Frank Shorter, along with reporters and television cameras. Thousands of spectators lined the streets and cheered the runners. By reconfiguring the course, Lebow had drawn the city together and attracted recognition around the world.

The New York City Marathon's unique mix of athletics, neighborhood spirit, and international media attention soon attracted the world's best runners to the annual fall race. By the late 1970s, the running boom was exploding and New York was at the center. More than 9,000 people participated in 1978 when Norwegian Grete Waitz set a women's marathon world record, finishing in 2:32:30.

Several men's and women's records fell in the early years, but the New York race was soon about more than speed. When international sanctions against South African athletes were lifted in 1992, Willie Mtolo chose to run New York. He bested the field and garnered media coverage around the world. When Tegla Loroupe broke the tape at the Central Park finish in 1994, her win proved that African women were on par with the African men in their ability to run the 26.2-mile distance. She did it in New York, and the world took notice. Soon Kenyan women were invited to other major distance races.

In 2000, NYRR added an official wheelchair division to the marathon. Now the ING New York City Marathon has grown to become one of the most competitive wheelchair marathons anywhere in the world, with more than 200 wheelchair and handcycle athletes. In addition, a wide variety of ambulatory athletes with disabilities participate.

While the marathon has always been a focus of community spirit, with more than two million New Yorkers lining the streets to support the runners, that aspect of the race was most apparent in November 2001. Less than two months after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the New York City Marathon became a race of hope and renewal for participants, spectators, and all New Yorkers, and patriotism ran high as the marathon hosted the men's and women's USA Marathon Championships.

New York has continued to lead in race management. In 2002, NYRR created a separate start for the professional women as a way to highlight the most competitive women's field in race history. In 2003, ING became the title sponsor of the race and joined with NYRR to fund grassroots running and fitness programs among the city's youth through the ING Run for Something Better program.

NYRR hosted the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials -- Men's Marathon in Central Park on the same weekend as the ING New York City Marathon 2007. In 2008, the marathon was successfully staged with three wave starts. The 2009 race was the marathon's 40th running and hosted the USA Men's Marathon Championship. In 2010, the marathon expanded its reach to friends, family, and fans with the I'M IN theme. There were more than 45,000 finishers, the most ever.

Forty years after its start, the ING New York City Marathon continues to grow in size and to be the leader among marathons around the world.

ING NYC Marathon Website: http://www.ingnycmarathon.org