Abebe Bikila Award

The Abebe Bikila Award is an annual prize given by the New York Road Runners club (NYRR) to honour individuals who have made a significant contribution to the sport of long-distance running. The first recipient of the award was Ted Corbitt, a founder of both NYRR and the Road Runners Club of America, who received the honour on October 27, 1978.[1] The award is named in honour of the two-time Olympic marathon winner Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia.

Abebe Bikila Award
Presented byNew York Road Runners
First awarded1978
WebsiteNew York Road Runners

Past winners of the award include: Olympic gold medallists Frank Shorter, Rosa Mota and Lasse Virén; world record breakers Paula Radcliffe, Khalid Khannouchi and Paul Tergat; and multiple major marathon winners Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar and Joan Samuelson.[2][3]

While the award has typically been associated with elite level runners, particularly marathon runners, it has also been given to non-athletes. Fred Lebow – creator of the New York Marathon – became the first person to win the award who was not a professional athlete in 1995. The 2001 award was given to Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani on the basis of his dedication to the city in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.[4] The 2009 winner, long-time road running organiser and event director Allan Steinfeld, was the third non-professional athlete to receive the award.[5] The Rudin family, long-time sponsors of the New York Marathon, were the first non-individual recipients of the award in 2012.[6]

The award is closely linked with NYRR's annual International Friendship Run, a four-mile fun run from United Nations Plaza to Central Park, which is held immediately following the official award presentation event.[7]

Recipients
Czech runner Emil Zátopek was the first foreign winner.
Olympic marathon winner Sohn Kee-chung of Korea was the first Asian to receive the prize.
Joan Samuelson was the second female athlete to take the award.
YearRecipientCountry
1978Ted Corbitt United States
1979Emil Zátopek Czechoslovakia
1980Lasse Virén Finland
1981Frank Shorter United States
1982Mamo Wolde Ethiopia
1983Grete Waitz Norway
1984Derek Clayton Australia
1985John Adelbert Kelley United States
1986Joan Samuelson United States
1987Sohn Kee-chung South Korea
1988Alberto Salazar United States
1989Bill Rodgers United States
1990Waldemar Cierpinski Germany
1991Alain Mimoun France
1992Ingrid Kristiansen Norway
1993Rod Dixon New Zealand
1994Juma Ikangaa Tanzania
1995Fred Lebow United States
1996Orlando Pizzolato Italy
1997Lisa Ondieki Australia
1998Rosa Mota Portugal
1999Tegla Loroupe Kenya
2000Khalid Khannouchi United States
2001Rudolph Giuliani United States
2002Allison Roe New Zealand
2003Kathrine Switzer United States
2004Stefano Baldini Italy
2005Mizuki Noguchi Japan
2006Paula Radcliffe United Kingdom
2007Not awarded
2008Lornah Kiplagat Netherlands
2009Allan Steinfeld United States
2010Paul Tergat Kenya
2011Germán Silva Mexico
2012Not awarded
2013 Rudin family  United States
2014 Norbert Sander  United States
2015 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia
2016 Mary Wittenberg  United States
2017 Meb Keflezighi  United States
2018 Shalane Flanagan  United States
2019 Jenny Simpson  United States
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References
  1. This Week in NYRR History Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. New York Road Runners. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
  2. Radcliffe named as Abebe Bikila Award Winner. IAAF/NYRR (2006-10-28). Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
  3. Tergat to receive the Abebe Bikila Award . IAAF/NYRR (2010-10-28). Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
  4. Litsky, Frank (2001-11-03). PLUS: ROAD RACING; Road Runners Club To Honor Giuliani. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
  5. Gambacinni, Peter (2009-10-28). Allan Steinfeld Wins Abebe Bikila Award. Runners World. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
  6. Gambaccini, Peter (2012-10-16). Rudin Family Will Get NYRR's Abebe Bikila Award. Runners' World. Retrieved on 2013-02-23.
  7. Peace, Love, and… We Understand that the Race Is Tomorrow Archived 2010-08-06 at the Wayback Machine. New York Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
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