The Quiet Revolutionary A tribute to the life and legacy of distance running pioneer by Sabrina Tillman

ed Corbitt—runner, Olympian, and tempo of making a positive differ- endure the distance. Few training master physical therapist, ence for so many that we continue to resources existed at the time, so Corbitt T husband, father, icon, harbinger promote today.” adapted Czech Olympian and world of change—will forever be regarded record-holder Emil Zátopek’s training as one of the pioneers of the sport of The Endurance Master regimen to create his own program distance running. Corbitt pushed the As a child on his family’s farm in that included resistance exercises, pro- boundaries of the sport in countless Dunbarton, South Carolina, Corbitt ran gressive mileage (up to a 30-mile run), ways: In his 88 years, he ran 199 to school, the store, and the mailbox. and speed workouts. Corbitt would run and ultramarathons, He ran track in high school and at the in heavy combat boots that blistered winning 30 of those races and setting University of Cincinnati, where segre- his feet because he hypothesized that numerous records. As the first gation rules occasionally prevented it would make him stronger. His 2:48:42 president of New York Road Runners, him from competing. He served in the debut earned Corbitt 15th Corbitt changed the sport at the local army during World War II, then married place in Boston that year. and national level. “Ted was a quiet Ruth Butler, who remained his partner One year later, Corbitt competed yet tremendous force at NYRR and in for 42 years; they had one child, Gary. in the Olympic marathon in Helsinki, our sport,” says Mary Wittenberg, NYRR Ever the experimenter, Corbitt Finland, and although he finished a president and CEO. “As pioneer, leader, trained for his first marathon, the 1951 disappointing 44th, he was hooked. and our first president, he set the tone , to see if he could By the end of 1954, Corbitt had run

Ted Corbitt: Mile Markers

1919 1944 1946 1947 1949 1950 Born in Served in the Married Ruth Joined New York Began 44-year Earned master’s Dunbarton, South U.S. Army, World Butler Pioneer Club career as a degree in physical Carolina War II physical therapist therapy from New for the Institute York University for the Crippled 1942 and Disabled Graduated from the University of Cincinnati

Photography by Enquirer/Gary Landers, Ken Levinson, and courtesy of Gary Corbitt

32 NEW Y ORK RUNNER SPRING 2008 14 marathons; he finished among the just to keep the eyes open and the person on the planet.” top 20 in 13 of them, won his first title body moving.” “He wasn’t a cheerleader for the at the Shanahan Marathon, and earned Three separate 20-milers in one day, sport—he was a very serious athlete,” the national marathon crown at the 300-mile weeks, training culminating in says McGee. “He was always willing to championship race in Yonkers. Four “Hell Week” (seven days of consecutive go down in flames to beat the guy in years later at the Shanahan Marathon, long runs and workouts, often com- front of him, and that’s what makes Corbitt set his personal record, 2:26:44. pleted twice or thrice daily), running a competitor.” Although Corbitt was to-and-from work, loops around best known for feats of ultradistance The Unrelenting Purist Manhattan Island and Westchester running, Gary Corbitt says that the After conquering the marathon distance, Corbitt was ready for a new competitive challenge. In 1959, he “He was always willing to go down in flames helped organize New York’s first to beat the guy in front of him, and that’s ultramarathon, the New York Road Runners Club (NYRRC) 30-Mile Run, what makes a competitor.” —Betsy McGee along the same course in the Bronx as the Cherry Tree Marathon (plus four County—welcome to the training log relatively short 30K was his dad’s miles). Ultramarathons suited Corbitt’s of Ted Corbitt. “Those of us who knew favorite distance. “I don’t think people sensibilities perfectly. “Ultrarunners Ted back then talked about his training have a clue about his speed at shorter require a mental maturity and focus,” runs—the 200 miles a week. The time distances—he was very fast for all says Betsy McGee, Corbitt’s close friend he ran 70 miles a day, three days in a distances.” and an ultramarathon organizer. “Many row in [heat] over 90 degrees,” said Corbitt learned through experience. ultras are run along trails, in forests, George Hirsch, chairman of the NYRR “I had successes, but mistakes and fail- or on mountain terrain, and if you let board of directors, at the Runner’s ing to master the art of tapering off your mind wander, you could get lost. World 2007 Heroes of Running awards between training and races all affected There is also a physiological difference ceremony, where Corbitt was honored. race results,” he said when accepting in the body when you run at night, “He logged over 200,000 miles, widely his Heroes of Running Award. “I knew I and it requires extra concentration believed to be more than any other didn’t have to run as much as I did to

1951 1952 1954 1956 1957 1958 Son Gary born; Became the first Won USA National Won national Won national Established shown here with African American Marathon Champ- 30K championship 30K championship quarterly NYRR Ruth in 1956 to represent ionship at Yonkers Was the first newsletter the USA in the in 2:46:13 Ran first alternate for the 1958 Set marathon PR, marathon in marathon; First marathon U.S. Olympic 2:26:44 Boston competed in the victory, Shanahan marathon team Became first Olympic Games in president of Began teaching Marathon physical therapy Helsinki, Finland (2:36:06) New York Road Runners classes at Columbia University

NEW Y ORK RUNNER SPRING 2008 33 reach the same level of performance, running style, and so on, doesn’t work Although apprehensive about the time but you have to go through a lot to for everyone. Keep an open mind, commitment, Corbitt allowed his peers discover what the possibilities are.” keep learning, and improve on what to convince him to become the first Corbitt maintained his rigorous you know.” president of NYRR in 1958. He founded schedule until a diagnosis of bronchial asthma at age 54 ended his competitive “I don’t think people have a clue about his running career. He continued to partici- pate in events, though, and embraced speed at shorter distances—he was very walking. fast for all distances.” —Gary Corbitt

The Open-Minded Healer Corbitt approached the body the quarterly club newsletter (which Off the roads, Corbitt was revered as holistically with the goal of achieving evolved into New York Runner) and a physical therapist. In 1949, he began balance. He combined massage with served as its chief editor for 20 years. a 44-year career at the Institute for progressive training, moderate resist- In 1960, Corbitt became the third the Crippled and Disabled (ICD) in ance training, stretching, proper president of the Road Runners Club of Manhattan, and he earned a master’s nutrition and hydration, efficient America (RRCA) and started a national degree in physical therapy from New running form, and proper rest and club newsletter. “I spent years doing York University the following year. recovery to produce the most well- administrative stuff in the background Corbitt’s philosophies on healing trained, injury-free athlete possible. to help our sport survive and grow,” resembled his running method—he Corbitt said. “I didn’t want to do a lot approached both with an open mind. The Quiet Leader of this stuff, but it needed to be done “Ted would say, ‘if it works for you, How did one man who was famously and I did it.” keep using it, if not, go back to the quiet and humble, and who spent While he was RRCA president, drawing board’,” says Corbitt’s protégé, countless hours training in solitude, Corbitt wanted to start a coastal Jack Mantione, doctor of physical touch the lives of so many? Corbitt marathon competition that would therapy. “His message to me was inspired because he was inspired; he match the times of East Coast runners everything is relative—the same was motivated by his passion for against those on the West Coast. He medical and fitness technique, running and his desire to give back. soon found that times on different

1959 1960 1960 1962 1965 1966 Organized, ran, Became third Co-authored Ran first of Became first Set USA record and won the president of a book on five London-to- chairman of the for 50 miles on first NYRR Road Runners hydrotherapy Brighton 52-mile National AAU the track 30-Mile Run Club of America; road races Standards Com- (3:04:13) shown here in mittee, which 1962 with RRCA certified accurate 1968 1964 members Kurt road race courses Won national Steiner, left, and Wrote Measuring 50-mile Aldo Scandurra Road Running championship Courses

34 NEW Y ORK RUNNER SPRING 2008 courses couldn’t be compared due to American bicentennial; Lebow and training runs by suspicious police a lack of measurement standards. This his team pulled it off. Other ideas also officers, but he didn’t protest; he sparked a new mission for Corbitt— encountered resistance: Despite disap- accepted things as they were and one that would become his greatest proval from the AAU, Corbitt led NYRR maintained hope that times would contribution to the sport. He compiled to sponsor races for runners over the change. “My father was a runner to see data and analysis on the various age of 40. In Corbitt: The Story of Ted what he could do in the sport and not methods of course measurement and Corbitt, Long Distance Runner (1974; Track to break any racial barriers,” says Gary published Measuring Road Running & Field News), author John Chodes Corbitt. But the more Corbitt achieved, Courses (1964; Road Runners Club, USA), writes, “AAU officials were stunned the more he redefined the limits of which gave rise to the RRCA’s course when veterans outperformed the what was thought possible. Without certification program. In 1965, Corbitt under-19 juniors. As the concept grew, intention, he became a role model for became the first chairman of the hundreds of runners came out of underrepresented ethnic, age, and National AAU Standards Committee, retirement, and many novices took up gender groups in the sport of running which was tasked with the promotion competing, anxious to prove that 40 and beyond. of accurate road course measurement. wasn’t over the hill.” The Legacy of a Legend Corbitt quietly paved the road for “Ted reached self-actualization and he did it posterity with his singular style. “The through his running. He didn’t have a goal— Japanese call it satori, which means to just be, to live in the moment, and Ted that’s why he didn’t have any boundaries.” embodied that,” says Mantione. “He —Jack Mantione learned how to put his ego in his pocket. Ted reached self-actualization In 1975, Corbitt suggested that Corbitt’s style of leading by and he did it through his running. He NYRR president expand example paved the way not only for didn’t have a goal—that’s why he didn’t the Marathon out of older runners, but also for women and have any boundaries.” and into the five boroughs ethnic minorities in the sport. Corbitt If Corbitt’s achievements earned as a way to commemorate the was stopped hundreds of times during him respect, his character brought him

1969 1973 1975 1978 1983 1990 Set USA record Set USA record Suggested to Recipient of Celebrated Founding of the for 100 miles on for 24 hours Fred Lebow the the first Abebe 25th anniversary Ted Corbitt the track on the track concept of an Bikila Award of NYRR with Memorial Award, (134.7 miles); NYC five-borough Fred Lebow awarded by USA shown here road race Track & Field to competing in honor the male the Ted Corbitt ultrarunner of 24 Hour Race. the year

NEW Y ORK RUNNER SPRING 2008 35 followers. “He was more effective as a Corbitt has inspired and guided his son Gary’s may be to preserve this quiet activist than anyone I know, and numerous athletes and others, includ- example to remind us just how far two he did that in a scholarly, gentlemanly ing his son. Gary, a marathon runner feet can travel. I manner—he did it in a very masterful who is preparing to run Boston this way,” says McGee. In his later years, year in honor of his father, reveals that Ted Corbitt died of respiratory failure (he Corbitt worked with McGee to help his dad “never really pushed me to run; also had prostate and colon cancer) on grow the sport of ultramarathoning, he pushed education.” Gary, now the December 12, 2007. His wife, Ruth Butler and he included her in his mission to research director of Nielsen ratings Corbitt, died in 1989. He is survived by his son, Gary Corbitt, of Jacksonville, Florida. “You have to go through a lot to discover what the possibilities are.” —Ted Corbitt Ted Corbitt Archives Project The Ted Corbitt Archives will be get the ultra into the Olympics. McGee for a television station in Florida, has a multimedia tribute to the life and recalls attending a Runner’s World event established the Ted Corbitt Archives with Corbitt where he told them he project. “I want to preserve my father’s contributions of Ted Corbitt and would attend if given the opportunity legacy and preserve the history of the other leaders, and an historical to announce the Olympic ultra project. sport,” he says. “I’m being told that a record of the sport of long distance “He used his statesmanship to his lot of people don’t care about the running. If you have something to advantage, and he was full of mischief history of the sport, and I would like too,” recalls McGee, laughing. Corbitt to change that.” contribute, submit materials to: sat in the back at the event, eyes Ted Corbitt was motivated by Ted Corbitt Archives closed, forcing McGee to be the scientific curiosity to redefine what P.O. Box 23132 spokesperson. McGee now organizes was considered humanly possible. His Jacksonville, FL 32241 ultras and training camps around the footprints have made a tremendous world, including the Verbier Ultra Run impact on the sport, and if Ted Corbitt’s [email protected] in Verbier, Switzerland. legacy was to inspire by example, then

1993 1998 2002 2003 2006 2007 Retired from Inducted into Set world age Walked 68.7 miles Inducted into Honored as one the Institute for the inaugural record of 303 in 24 hours inaugural class at of the Heroes of the Crippled and class at the miles in a six-day the American Running, Runner’s Disabled, but Distance Running race; shown here Ultrarunning Hall World continued to Hall of Fame greeting runners of Fame Died on treat patients after their December 12 in 100-mile run. Houston, Texas

36 NEW Y ORK RUNNER SPRING 2008