The Impact of the New York Road Runners

The New York Road Runners is a non-profit organization based in New York City. It was originally founded in 1958 in Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx as a running club with about 40 members who were led by African American Olympian Ted Corbitt. This new club opened its ranks to all: men, women, Whites, Blacks, fast and slow. Growth was a gradual process, by 1970 there were about 250 members and that was the first year of the New York City

Marathon in Central Park. As time would pass the NYRR would increase in members and always spread its mission statement among new and old members alike. The mission is to help and inspire people through running, as it states on their website at nyrr.org “Running takes your body, mind, and spirit to a better place. The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward can make you healthier, happier, and more confident. Like the starting horn at a race, we want to be the “Go!” that gets people running for life. At New York Road Runners, it is our goal to give everyone on the planet both a reason to run and the means and opportunity to keep running and never stop.” This mission statement is to motivate past and future runners in the city of New York.

In the 1972 marathon co-founder Fred Lebow took over as the president of the NYRR, and helped start a “running boom’ that swept the nation during this time. In 1976 The New York

City marathon extended to all five boroughs of New York. They also launched many new races for its members during the decade of the 70’s, including the first ever all woman race named the

NYRR New York Mini 10K and others like the Empire State run-up and the midnight run which takes place at exactly midnight on New Year ’s Eve, by the e...

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...Finally, the events of 9/11 did affect the organization as it did all of New York, but with the New York spirit it possesses they ran the NYC marathon almost two months afterwards and helped heal this city and provided help for those in need.

The NYRR is a great example of how to use someone’s personal passion and turn it into a great organization that helps many and motivates everyone. They give me the motivation to run and I am a supporter of this group because of what they stand for and how well they are run.

The “Run for life” motto was created in the early 2010’s and it symbolizes what the NYRR stands for. The NYRR brings life to active running New Yorkers and also brings new life to youth programs, community health events and many more. This organization will prosper for a long time and so will most of the city of New York.

Works Cited

nyrr.org