History
Numerous world class runners have participated in the race, including marathon record holders Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe, Olympic marathon medalists Catherine Ndereba, Meb Keflezighi, and Deena Kastor, 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein, and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall.
Gebrselassie set the men's course record in 2007 championship, with a time of 59:24. On March 18, 2012, Firehiwot Dado set the women's record with a time of 1:08:35.
In its earlier years, the event was run on various dates in the summer; in 2010, it was moved to March. The 2010 race had a field of 14,821 registered runners and 11,604 finishers. Mary Wittenberg, president of the NYRR, said in 2010 that she expects a possible growth of over 20,000 participants in future years.
Read more about this topic: New York City Half Marathon
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“It may be well to remember that the highest level of moral aspiration recorded in history was reached by a few ancient Jews—Micah, Isaiah, and the rest—who took no count whatever of what might not happen to them after death. It is not obvious to me why the same point should not by and by be reached by the Gentiles.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“It is the true office of history to represent the events themselves, together with the counsels, and to leave the observations and conclusions thereupon to the liberty and faculty of every man’s judgement.”
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626)
“No matter how vital experience might be while you lived it, no sooner was it ended and dead than it became as lifeless as the piles of dry dust in a school history book.”
—Ellen Glasgow (1874–1945)