Athletes

Waitz, a nine-time winner of the New York City Marathon, became the first women to break the 2 hour, 30 minute marathon mark when she won the event in 1979.

A world-class track runner prior to competing in her first marathon in 1978, Waitz has held the world record in the 3000m twice and has been ranked No. 1 in the world in the mile/1500m. She was a member of the Norwegian Olympic team in 1972 and 1976, running the longest distance available for women — the 1500m. Waitz is a five-time winner of the World Cross Country Championships. In 1978, she won the World Cross Country Championship and the New York City Marathon in a world-record time of 2:32:30.

In 1979 and 1980, she ran to first-place finishes at the World Cross Country Championships. Waitz broke her world record in 1980 by winning the New York City Marathon in 2:25:42. She took the top spot once again at the 1981 World Cross Country Championship and the 1982 New York City Marathon.

In 1983, she won the New York City Marathon, the London Marathon and the World Track and Field Championships. Waitz won a silver medal in the inaugural women's Olympic marathon race in 1984.

Later that year, she won her seventh New York City Marathon and became a two-time winner of the Pavo Nurmi Award (1978 and 1979) as the top female distance runner. Waitz established the Grete Waitz Run for women in Oslo in 1994. The event has grown to 45,000 participants.

In 1995, Waitz was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame in the Contemporary category. She is presently coaching the top Norwegian women runners and is on the advisory board for Women's Sports International. Her charitable work includes CARE International and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Norway. She is on the Board of Directors of CARE Norway. (9/98)