CENTRAL PARK TRACK CLUB THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS 1972 Dave Blackstone Lynn Blackstone Jack Brennan Fred Burke Cathy Burnam Arnold Fraiman Frank Handelman Marc Howard Fred Lebow Andy Maslow Jerry Miller Richart Miller Kathrine Switzer Robert Urie IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS DAVE… “In the early 1970s there were perhaps two dozen runners who trained regularly in Central Park, many of whom did not compete but had track or cross-country backgrounds and stayed in shape, for example, Frank Handelman, Bob Urie, Jack Brennan and myself. Through the late 1960s and early 70s the only team winning Met titles was Millrose, except in cross-country where the NYAC was dominant, fielding national-class runners. I thought it would be fun to organize these regulars into a team, so in September 1972, my wife, Lynn and I called a founding meeting in our apartment and Central Park Track Club was born.” — Dave Blackstone, founder and first president of CPTC That was the genesis of our club. During the The history of CPTC might be divided into two ensuing 30 years, that little band consisting of parts — BG and AG. Long before George Dave and Lynn, Ben Gershmann, Larry Wisniewski came on the scene, CPTC had a Langer, Judge Arnold Fraiman, Walter Nathan, definite presence in local competition. Shelly Bob Urie, Fred Lebow, Frank Handelman, Jack Karlin, Handelman, Brennan, and Blackstone Brennan and a few others, has grown into a were names that frequently showed up as top real presence in New York, with close to four finishers in races. In fact, Dave seems to have hundred members from a variety of ethnic raced so often that in an early Club News piece, backgrounds, of all ages, speeds and resting it was reported he was leaving his job and pulse rates. moving into an abandoned sewer pipe under the FDR drive, where he worked out 10 or 12 “The men had Thursday night group When we started it was illegal to jog on the times a day. runs in the mid-70s, which were great Bridle Path, and in those days there was no fun, where we’d meet at 90th and Fifth New York Road Runners Club, just a Road Shelly, reminisces Blackstone, was a “skinny Avenue and do six miles. Every week Runners Club, NY Association, which put out kid with long hair,” who passed everyone. Bob it was a race; we didn’t want to, but an occasional type-written newsletter, charged Urie, called Old Coyote, used to pound on cars, that was when John Kenney was $4 dues and had 268 members, among whom and Jack Brennan was, well, Jack Brennan. coming along, and Jerry McCarthy were such subsequent notables such as Jim “I joined CPTC because Dave and Jack Brennan. Actually, Jack Fixx, Eddie Coyle, Ted Corbitt and George Blackstone begged me to. He would couldn’t run six miles so we lost him, Hirsch, Sheehan and Wisniewski. call me repeatedly at night, ply me but the rest of us would do those workouts in about 33 minutes.” The Winter Series that year had an outstanding with alcohol, send me flowers; I — Frank Handelman turnout — averaging 100 people a race. The finally couldn’t take it anymore and I following year’s New York City Marathon, held gave in.” — Jack Brennan “The older he gets, the faster he used entirely in the park in those days, had 293 “It was in the late 1970’s and Len to be …” — Jack Brennan finishers, eight of whom were running for the Duey used to hang around the fledgling Central Park Track Club. Two of “My first memory of the team was Reservoir and look for women who these were women — Kathy Switzer and CPTC when I’d go do my little Reservoir looked like they could run fast, and founderess, Lynn Blackstone. loops at night, and there was this pack ask us if we wanted to come and be a of very skinny, very fast men, who part of the team.” — Robin Villa always ran together. We called them Without a coach, members decided among the Boy Dogs because they were such themselves when and what the workouts would a pack and so clearly above everyone be. The women had Len Duey’s coaching and else out there. When I joined the team the small but elite group, Isabel Carmichael, and went to a team party somewhere, Diane Magnani, Liz Levy and others, began I realized that the Boy Pack was to win national championships. The men were CPTC. After the fact I learned they more or less on their own. were Jack Brennan, Mike Koenig, Brian Jones, Roger Yergeau, Fritz “The big success story of the 70s was Mueller and some others. And I was Fritz Mueller. Here was a guy who on the same team as the Boy Dogs! came from God knows where — I What a thrill!” — Ellen Wallop think it was during the Depression — and started running. He had visions of glory, probably even fantasized that some day he’d learn to speak English. I mean he’s no different from anybody else on the club — we’ve all dreamt of glory and that some day Fritz might learn to speak English …” — Jack Brennan In 1976 Kevin McDonald was our first Olympic Marathon trials qualifier, running a 2:19 — a club record even now. In 1980, thanks, it is rumored to a felicitous tail wind, Jack Brennan was one of the three CPTC people who qualified for the Olympic Marathon trials, along with Shelly Karlin and Peter Squires. 1980 was also the year Dave Blackstone turned over the presidency to Norman Goluskin and the year the Executive Committee began to cast around for a coach. And the year George Wisniewski and Tomi And then there was Fritz. At an age when Gomory entered our lives. most of the world is over the hill, Fritz Mueller was peaking. “I joined the Club when they thought I was good enough. I ran a marathon in 2:50 in the early 70s, and passed Dave Blackstone at the end. I guess that’s what did it.” — Fritz Mueller At 42, in 1978, he ran a PR of 2:20 in Boston, a record he would hold for six years, won the Yonkers Marathon and earned the World Masters Marathon Championship in Berlin. Since 1973, he ran 249 races including 24 sub- 2:30 marathons; he broke 2:30 in the New York City Marathon seven times in a row. “I heard about an out-of-shape middle-age blond guy that collapsed at four miles in a six-mile race and had to be hospitalized. I later learned that it was his first race and his name is Fritz. So what? I realize now, of course, he put us on the map.” — Dave Blackstone “I would see him go by in the park and would think, “Oh, there goes Fritz Mueller!” When it turned out I was running for the same team, it was like I was one of the chosen!” — Robin Villa “When word filtered back that Fritz had run a 2:30 marathon at age 50 … it sent a bit of a thrill through the entire team. — George Wisniewski THE COACHES “When I became president, I wanted Tomi and George brought a new dimension to to hire a coach. I felt we all ran too CPTCers’ running careers. They worked out hard, not knowing what the hell we regularly, improved race times and a lot of were doing. We were pretty close to people got serious about the sport for the first hiring someone, when Frank time, but there was nothing stodgy about them, Handelman said I should meet this and they also brought a new dimension in fun. guy Wisniewski … probably my And the social aspects were just as important. biggest contribution was being The club meant more to us than just timed instrumental in bringing George into quarters and sweat; we were a team off the road the club.” — Norman Goluskin and track too, as attested to by the predictable crowds at the West End Café, Dublin House and assorted restaurants and bars. Not to mention Harry Nasse’s biannual Sussex soirees and some eye-opening gatherings in New Paltz. George and Tomi may have brought structure THE GIRLS “CPTC was founded as a co-ed club, and it was the only co-ed club around.” — Lynn Blackstone “Shortly after moving to New York in the ‘70s, I would run after work — once around the Reservoir, as fast as I could. It’s hard to admit, even now, but kicking dust in some innocent runner’s face was the perfect antidote to office stress. I’d select a victim, pass him, then listen as he strained to catch up. It was mean, of course, and one evening it backfired: This guy — this old guy — just hung on. The faster I went, the faster he went, until after three loops I hit the wall. He stopped too and said, “I am Fritz. Vould you like to choin ze Central Park Track Club?” Leery of strange invitations from men, it wasn’t until I heard about the Club again from my neighbor Diane Magnani, who confirmed that there was such a thing, and, what’s more, a guy named Len Duey held workouts for women. She insisted I come, and I did. We were a small group: Jane Breene, Pat Ellis, Hermine Bartee, Gail Swain, Caryl Hudson, “He almost seems like a normal Kaarina Uutenin, Nora Cheng, Weezie Sams, Johanna Colette, Yvonne Rosen, Marie Wicks, Liz Levy and a few others.