Honoring A Legend: The Ted Corbitt 50k Tribute Run

The Ted Corbitt 50K Recap / Photos by 4 Eyes Photography

What if I told you that one of the most important runners to grace the planet was never a larger-than-life character but had all the qualities to make him a mythical and revered being? As we go the distance into Black history month it is very important to capture the spirit of the Pioneer that is Theodore “Ted” Corbitt. Ted Corbitt is heralded as the father of long distance running and deserving of that title and more. This man was a healer, an ultramarathon pioneer, co-founder of the largest run organization in the world and the original designer of the NYC marathon - more on his life can be found here . Over the years, more has been done to honor his legacy and to make more runners aware of who this man was and what he still means to the sport. 

In continuing the longstanding tradition to celebrate Black men, Black Men Run NYC, over the years created some unique opportunities to celebrate him. From organizing group runs that celebrate his life to the full-on creation of medals to complement races that did have his name but not a significant keepsake available. The pandemic would cultivate another opportunity to notch another step in honoring his life. The silver lining to the pandemic was that it forced everyone out of well-established comfort zones that created so many norms that we regarded as the standard. For runners and run groups a new level of innovation in challenging ourselves was needed with races going virtual but most of us still needing/wanting race day atmosphere and camaraderie. From this run on descriptive thought the Ted Corbitt 50k (tribute run) was born.