Information about Ted Corbitt

Though little known to the general public, Ted Corbitt (b. January 31, 1920, near Dunbarton, South Carolina)^[1] is a key figure in the history of running. In a long career, he held many records as an athlete and was equally influential as an official of running organizations. Corbitt is often called "the father of long distance running." He was an ultramarathon pioneer, helping to revive interest in the sport in the United States in the 1960s and 70's. New York Times columnist Robert Lipsyte called Corbitt "the last surviving spiritual elder of the modern running clan".

Corbitt also developed standards to accurately measure courses and certify races. The technique involved the use of a calibrated bicycle and was widely adopted worldwide.

Personal and professional life

Ted Corbitt was born on a South Carolina cotton farm. He ran track in high school and at the University of Cincinnati. Due to racial discrimination, which was common at the time, he was sometimes banned from track meets when white athletes refused to compete against him, being a black man. After army service in World War II, Corbitt earned a graduate degree in physical therapy from New York University, where he later lectured. He was a physiotherapist for more than 40 years.

Racing and training

Corbitt competed in the 5,000 metres, the 10,000 metres and the Marathon at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won the Philadelphia Marathon in 1954. At various times, Corbitt held the U.S. track records for distances of 25 miles, the Marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He remained a nationally competitive runner well into his 50's.

For many years, Corbitt ran more than 20 miles a day from his home in a distant suburb of New York City to his job as a physiotherapist in Manhattan. On some days, he also ran home. At his peak, Corbitt ran up to 200 miles a week, far more than almost any other distance runner. Corbitt ran most of his miles at a fast pace. One workout he often ran involved 17 miles on the track, followed by 13 miles on roads. One week in 1962, Corbitt ran 300 miles. He then travelled to England and competed in the 54 mile London to Brighton road race, finishing fourth. Corbitt's "killer weeks" continue to inspire some elite distance runners to this day.

Other contributions to running

Corbitt has served as an unpaid official of many running organizations, including the Amateur Athletic Union. He was the first President of the Road Runners Club of America and the third President of the New York Road Runners Club. Corbitt served on various boards and committees for over 50 years. He helped create the masters division for runners over 40.

In the early 1960s, Corbitt led efforts to accurately measure and certify long distance road race courses in the United States. The technique, based on the work John Jewell of Great Britain, used a calibrated bicycle wheel in conjunction with a revolution counter. This method is still used today.

As an official, Corbitt was often the anonymous "inside man" who remained out of the limelight and left promotion and public relations to others. Corbitt never coached, wrote a book or became a fitness guru. In a career that spanned decades, he earned almost no money from running. Corbitt is revered by a small group of knowledgeable runners, but remains unknown to almost everyone else.

A measure of public reognition finally came in 1998, when Corbitt was among the first five runners to be inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Corbitt was also inducted into the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame on its inauguration in April of 2006.

Now 86 (2006), Corbitt still volunteers at ultramarathon races in New York and sometimes even competes. As recently as 2003, Corbitt completed a 24-hour race by walking 68 miles, finishing 17th in a field of 35. Some runners were awed by his presence; others had no idea who he was.

Corbitt has never smoked and his only drink was a single can of beer while in the army. He practices self-massage, carefully chews every mouthful of food, and drinks lots of water.

References and external links

• Ted Corbitt: Father of Long Distance Running Running Times
• Marathon: Miles to Go and Promises to Keep New York Times
• Ted Corbitt: An Ultrarunning Pioneer Ultrarunning Magazine
• Ted Corbitt's 1964 monograph on road race course measurement
• Ted Corbitt (online encyclopedia entry)