Grete Waitz's name is inextricably linked with the New York City Marathon, an event where she forged a legendary career and left an indelible mark on the sport of running. Her unprecedented nine victories in the women's division between 1978 and 1988 established a record for the highest number of wins in a single big city marathon in history. This remarkable dominance transformed both her career and the profile of the New York City Marathon, elevating
it to a global stage and inspiring countless runners. Her journey with the race began unexpectedly and quickly evolved into one of the most iconic partnerships in sports history.
The Unforgettable Debut of 1978
Grete Waitz's association with the New York City Marathon commenced in 1978, when she was invited to participate by the race's co-founder and director, Fred Lebow. Despite it being her first marathon, Waitz made an immediate and profound impact. On October 22, 1978, she not only won the race but also shattered the existing women's course record by a full two minutes. Her finishing time of 2:32:30 placed her more than nine minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Marty Cooksey, who completed the race in 2:41:49. This debut victory was also recognized as a world record, surpassing the previous mark of 2:34:47.5 set in 1977. Although the 1978 NYC course was later remeasured in 1981 and found to be 151 meters short, her performance signaled the arrival of a new force in marathon running.
A Decade of Dominance and Record Breaking
Following her groundbreaking debut, Grete Waitz embarked on a decade of unparalleled dominance at the New York City Marathon. She continued to improve her own course record with subsequent victories in 1979 and 1980. In 1979, she achieved another historic milestone by becoming the first woman in history to run a marathon in under two and a half hours, finishing in 2:27:33. The following year, in 1980, she further lowered her winning time to 2:25:41. Her consistent excellence saw her break the course record three years in a row, a testament to her evolving mastery of the distance.
Waitz's nine victories in New York City spanned from 1978 to 1988, with wins in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988. This remarkable consistency and her ability to repeatedly triumph against top international competition solidified her status as the undisputed queen of the New York City Marathon. Her final marathon was also run in New York City on November 1, 1992, where she completed the race with her friend Fred Lebow in a time of 5:32:35. This run was a special occasion, celebrating Lebow's 60th birthday after he had been diagnosed with brain cancer, bringing her storied connection with the event to a poignant close.
