This Day in Track & Field, November 2, Grete Waitz wins her 8th NYC Marathon (1986),

This Day in Track & Field–November 2

(NY City Marathon; Born On This Day-Holly Bradshaw, German Fernandez, Moncur, Ngeny, Aouita, Munyala, Kathy Hammond/R.I.P.-Ducky Drake, Pen Hallowell/Eva Cassidy, Cubs Win)

1991—South Africa’s Elana Meyer set the first IAAF-ratified World Record for 15 kilometers, running 46:57 in Cape Town. The previous best of 47:17 was set by Norway’s Ingrid Kristiansen in 1987.

TCS NY City Marathon

1986—Grete Waitz (2:28:06) won the Women’s division, the 8^th of her eventual 9 victories in the event. Italy’s Gianni Poli won the Men’s race in 2:11:06 and was followed by Australia’s Rob de Castella (2:11:43), the 1983 World Champion, Italy’s Orlando Pizzolato (2:12:13), the 2-time defending NYC champion, and Kenya’s Ibrahim Hussein (2:12:51), who would win the race the following year. (20,502 starters)

Other Notable Finishers

Men: 9.Pete Pfitzinger 2:14:09

Women: 2.Lisa Ondieki (Australia) 2:29:12, 3.Laura Fogli (Italy) 2:29:44…9.Christa Vahlensieck (Germany) 2:38:12

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/861102/finishers

Top 25: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_New_York_City_Marathon

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/03/sports/poli-of-italy-winner-in-marathon-waitz-takes-8th-title-in-9-years.html

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/grete-waitz-wins-her-eighth-nyc-marathon

Full TV broadcast(2:18): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsO2q8dPHjA

1997—Despite stopping 2 times to re-tie the shoelaces on his new pair of shoes (they would become undone a 3^rd time, but he didn’t stop this time), Kenya’s John Kagwe won the Men’s race in 2:08:12 (He would win again the following year).  As reported in the NY Times, it was a “miserably humid, windy and rainy day”. Those conditions, plus the time lost securing his shoes, might have cost Kagwe a chance to break the Course Record of 2:08:01, set in 1989 by Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania,

         Switzerland’s Franziska Rochat-Moser was the surprise winner of the Women’s race in 2:28:43. Kim Jones (2:32:07), the top American finisher in the Women’s race (6^th), complained that some of the leaders had received an unfair advantage at some of the water stations (see link). Suffering cramps during the race, Kenya’s Tegla Loroupe, a crowd favorite after winning in NY in 1994 and 1995, finished 7^th in 2:33:31.  (30,434 finishers)

Other Notable Finishers 

Men: 2.Joseph…