Grete Waitz RIP

gerard65

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/13127429.stm
One of the greatest women distance runners.

JosDel

What an athlete 9 New York marathon's win's....RIP

YFlyer

Fellow Norwegian running pioneer Ingrid Kristiansen recalled Waitz's fortitude.

"She showed that we can come from Norway and assert ourselves internationally in running although there is snow here six months a year," the former world 10,000 metres champion told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/marathon-legend-grete-waitz-dies-4134316

Pisco Sour

Terribly saddened to hear the news of Grete's passing. A true pioneer of womens marathon running and her success was largely responsible for it becoming an Olympic event in 1984, which ironically she didn't win.

A true legend of the sport.

Pherekydes

RIP.

Very sad to hear this. Only a few years older than myself. A true legend of the sport.

Some moving tribute posts on this Letsrun thread.

Pisco Sour

Very shocked at the lack of response here to this news. Grete was a legend of our sport and one of the biggest influential people among women in sport. I suspect if somebody like Franz Beckenbaur or Jonah Lomu passed away it wouldn't get such a low response rate on the Soccer and Rugby boards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUOwU08ruY

Pherekydes

04072511 wrote: »

Very shocked at the lack of response here to this news. Grete was a legend of our sport and one of the biggest influential people among women in sport. I suspect if somebody like Franz Beckenbaur or Jonah Lomu passed away it wouldn't get such a low response rate on the Soccer and Rugby boards.

To be fair, I'd say many posters on here are primarily participants, rather than fans of the sport, and Waitz's career was effectively over before the internet got going, so she wouldn't have as wide an exposure, except to the older and more anorak fans amongst us.

I can't believe she ran 4:00.55 for 1500m, almost as fast as our Sonia in her prime, yet she is most famous, and rightly so, for her unbelievable Marathon career.

Her Norwegian records for 1500m and 3000m are 32 and 31 years old, respectively!

pgmcpq

It is big news here (NY). http://www.nyrr.org/index.asp I would imagine the NYRR will find a place in their calendar for a memorial race. EDIT: Apologies - there already is a half marathon named after her "Grete's Gallop"

To be fair she kept a very very low public profile - I had no idea she was ill. As I mentioned elsewhere there is a great piece about her first marathon here : http://www.marathonguide.com/features/firstmarathons/index.cfm?Story=Waitz

Pisco Sour

Pherekydes wrote: »

To be fair, I'd say many posters on here are primarily participants, rather than fans of the sport, and Waitz's career was effectively over before the internet got going, so she wouldn't have as wide an exposure, except to the older and more anorak fans amongst us.

I can't believe she ran 4:00.55 for 1500m, almost as fast as our Sonia in her prime, yet she is most famous, and rightly so, for her unbelievable Marathon career.

Her Norwegian records for 1500m and 3000m are 32 and 31 years old, respectively!

To be fair 1.7 seconds is a huge distance in 1500m, so I wouldn't call it nearly as fast as Sonia, but regardless she was no doubt quick over the shorter distances. I suspect if she was competing on the track NOW running that sort of time for 1500m she would be much more competitive. Sadly for her she was around during the time of state sponsored Eastern European doping.

Astonishing to have such great PB's at opposite ends of the spectrum. Even Paula Radcliffe who has such great PB's from 3000m to the Marathon has a pretty average 4:05 for 1500m though in her book she felt she should have gone quicker.