This Day in Track & Field History, November 1, Emil Zatopek sets 6 miles/10k WR (1953), Priscilla Welch wins NYC Marathon (1987), Meb Keflezighi wins NYC Marathon (2009), by Walt Murphy News & Results Services ),

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by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission

This Day in Track & Field–November 1

1953–Emil Zátopek set World Records at 6-miles (28:08.4) and 10,000-meters (29:01.6) in Stará Boleslav in the Czech Republic.

WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10,000_metres_world_record_progression

http://www.runningpast.com/emil_zatopek.htm

1956(1-2)–Before embarking on their long trip to Australia for the Melbourne Olympics, the U.S. team put on a show for fans in the Los Angeles area. Competing at the Coliseum on the 1st, Parry O’Brien produced the greatest shot put series ever, topped by two World Records, 62-8 (19.10m) and 63-2 (19.25m). In the 5000-meters, Bill Dellinger (14:16.2) outdueled Max Truex (14:16.7) as both bettered Truex’s 2-week old American Record of 14:22.8. The following day at Occidental, Hal Connolly won the Hammer Throw with a toss of 224-10  1/2 (68.54m) to set the first of his six World  Records in the event. O’Brien and Connolly went on to win Olympic gold in Melbourne.

WR Progressions

Shot Put: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_shot_put_world_record_progression

Hammer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression

Hall of Fame Bios

O’Brien(Charter-1974): (Currently not available); Wiki Bio

Connolly(1984): (Currently not available)  Wiki Bio

Dellinger(2000): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bill-dellinger

The TCS New York City Marathon

1987–Great Britain’s Priscilla Welch, a 42-year-old former smoker who took up running in her 30s, won the women’s title at the NY City Marathon in 2:30:17. In the men’s division, Long Islander Pat Petersen, who competed locally for Manhattan College, led at 10K and halfway. Eventual winner Ibrahim Hussein (2:11:01) of Kenya passed Petersen on First Avenue and ran unchallenged to the tape; Petersen finished fourth in 2:12:03, one place behind Pete Pfitzinger (2:11:54).

In one of those unfortunate moments in live TV, ABC missed Hussein crossing the finish line!

Other Notable Finishers

Men: 2.Gianni  Demadonna (Italy) 2:11:53…6.Orlando Pizzolata (Italy) 2:12:50 (winner in 1984, 1985)…10.Greg Meyer 2:14:31…23.Thom Hunt 2:17:20…46.Wilson Waigwa (Kenya) 2:23:34, 47.Tony Sandoval 2:23:40…55.Bill Rodgers 2:25:01 (winner 1976-1979)…90.Mark Bossardet 2:28:07

Women: 2.Francoise Bonnet (France) 2:31:22, 3.Jocelyne Villeton (France)…7.Laurie Crisp (1^st American) 2:36:01

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/871101/finishers

Top-10: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_New_York_City_Marathon

ABC: https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/03/sports/tv-sports-marathon-mystery-unseen-winner.html

1992— Fred Lebow, in remission from brain cancer, ran his first five-borough New York City Marathon. With 9-time women’s winner Grete Waitz at his side every step of the way, Lebow finished tearfully in 5:32:34.

Liberated by the lifting of international sanctions against South African athletes, Willie Mtolo won the men’s race in 2:09:09. Lisa Ondieki’s 2:24:40 winning time set a new course record for women and placed her 40th overall, the highest placing by a woman since 1976.

Other Notable Finishers:

Men: 2.Andres Esponosa (Mexico) 2:10:53…11.Ed Eyestone 2;14:19…17.Sammy Lelei (Kenya) 2:18:16

Women: 2.Olga Markova (Russia) 2:26:38…6.Gordon Bakoulis-Bloch(1^st American) 2:33:26

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/921101/finishers

Top-20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_New_York_City_Marathon

Video (Lebow Finish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGLoZR-bxB8

NY Times Coverage

1998–Nine men were still in contention at 22 miles, and three vied for top honors until the very end. John Kagwe (2:08:45) finally kicked to his second straight victory, followed closely by fellow Kenyan Joseph Chebet (2:08:48) and Tanzania’s Zebedayo Bayo (2:08:51). Mexico’s Germán Silva, the winner in 1994 and 1995, finished 4^th in 2:10:24.

Franca Fiacconi was the women’s winner with an Italian record of 2:25:17 after leaving Mexico’s Adriana Fernández (2^nd/2:26:33) and Kenya’s Tegla Loroupe (3^rd-2:30:28) behind at the 20-mile mark.

Other Notable Finishers:

Men: 5.Vanderlei da Lima (Brazil) 2:10:42; DNF-Abel Anton (Spain), Paul Pilkington

Women: 6.Libbie Hickman 2:33:06…12.Joan Benoit-Samuelson 2:42:06, 13.Anne-Marie Lauck 2:42.52…17.Kim Griffin 2:46:17

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/981101/finishers

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_New_York_City_Marathon

NY Times: www.nytimes.com/1998/11/02/sports/1998-new-york-city-marathon-dashing-to-victory-fiacconi-chases-down-loroupe.html

2009–34-year old Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist,  beat a strong field to win the NY City Marathon with a personal best time of 2:09:15. Keflezighi became the first American to win the race since Alberto Salazar finished first in 1982. Other Americans finishing in the top-10 in the race, which also served as the U.S. Championships, were Ryan Hall (4th-2:10:36, Jorge Torres (7th-2:13:00/debut), 8.Nick Arciniaga (2:13:46), 9.Abdi Abdirahman (2:14:00), 10.Jason Lehmkuhle (2:14:39).

        As Keflezighi neared the finish line in Central Park, he made the sign of the cross when he reached the point where his friend Ryan Shay had collapsed and died while running in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trial, which was held in the fall of 2007.

         The win marked a triumphant comeback for Keflezighi, who had been written off by many people after he finished 8th in that Trials race. Showing he still had plenty more to give, he would finish 4^th at the 2012 Olympics in London, win the 2014 Boston Marathon, and make his 3^rd Olympic team in 2016 (33^rd in the marathon in Rio).
Meb, who finished 11^th in the 2017 New York City Marathon, his 26^th and final competitive race at the distance, was presented with the Abebe Bikila Award 3 days prior to the race. The award has been presented by the New York Road Runners since 1978 to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running. He received another honor in 2019 when he was named to the NY Road Runners Hall of Fame.

        Derartu Tulu (2:28:52), the 2-time Olympic gold medalist at 10,000-Meters (1992, 2000), pulled away in the final stretch to win the Women’s division over Russia’s Lyudmila Petrova (2:29:00), who was the runnerup for the 2nd year in a row. Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe (2:29:27), the defending champion, faded to 4th after being among the leaders with less than 5-miles to go.

Other Notable Finishers:

Men: 2.Robert Cheruiyot (Kenya) 2:09:56, 3.Jauaud Gharib (Morocco/2-time World Champion) 2:10:25…6.Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa/2004 winner) 2:12:30

Women: 3.Christelle Daunay (France) 2:29:16…6.Magdalena Lewy Boulet 2:32:17…17.Joan Benoit-Samuelson (52) 2:49:09

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/a91101/finishers

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_New_York_City_Marathon

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/sports/02men.html

Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/2009/11/09/american-flyer

The American Dream(2017): https://www.si.com/more-sports/2017/10/30/meb-keflezighi-career-new-york-city-marathon

Video Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-BhdCE2ek8

Meb’s Book-Run to Overcome: 

http://www.amazon.com/Meb-Keflezighi/e/B00419KI0I

NYRR Hall of Fame: https://www.nyrr.org/media-center/press-release/20191017_nyrrhalloffame

2015— Kenya’s Mary Keitany (2:24:25) was the Women’s winner for the 2^nd year in a row. She would win again the following year and would get her 4^th win in 2018.

It was a 1-2 sweep for Kenya in the Men’s race—Stanley Biwott (2:10:34) and Geoffrey Kamworor (2:10:48). 3^rd was Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, the winner of the Boston Marathon earlier in the year.

Running in NY for the 10^th time, 40-year old Meb Keflezighi, the winner here on this same date in 2009 (see above), finished 7^th in 2:13:32, setting a Masters Record for the event!

Other Notable Finishers

Women: 6.Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya) 2:27:03 (2013 winner), 7.Laura Thweatt 2:28:23; DNF-Sally Kipyego (Kenya)

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/M2015/finishers

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_New_York_City_Marathon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r0iH6BNCpE

https://www.letsrun.com/events/2015-new-york-city-marathon-tcs-new-york-city-marathon/

Keflezighi

https://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/09/13/meb-keflezighi-2015-new-york-city-marathon

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/sports/at-40-meb-keflezighi-shows-no-signs-of-slowing.html

Singer Alicia Keys ran the race to raise funds for the Keep a Child Alive Foundation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbbv4IrPQUg

Past Winners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winners_of_the_New_York_City_Marathon

Media Guide (2024): 

https://www.nyrr.org/media-center/events/2023/2023-tcs-new-york-city-marathon/media-guide-and-resources

Through The Years: 

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/nydn-sports-44-years-new-york-city-marathon-history-1-47895-photogallery.html