Ted Corbitt

Ted Corbitt (January 31, 1919 – December 12, 2007) was an American long-distance runner and 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 1970s. New York Times columnist Robert Lipsyte called Corbitt a "spiritual elder of the modern running clan". In a Runner's World feature honoring lifetime achievement, writer Gail Kislevitz called Corbitt a "symbol of durability and longevity".

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

The grandson of slaves, Corbitt was born on a cotton farm near Dunbarton, South Carolina. He ran track in high school and at the University of Cincinnati. Due to the racial discrimination common at the time, he was sometimes banned from track meets when white athletes refused to compete against him. 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.

Corbitt joined the nation's first integrated running organization, the New York Pioneer Club, in 1947. He competed in the Marathon at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. In January 1954, he won the Philadelphia Marathon, the first of his four wins there. In May 1954, he won the Yonkers Marathon, becoming the U.S. National Marathon Champion. 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 fifties.

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