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.This Week in NYRR History . New York Road Runners. Retrieved on 2010-10-31. The award is named in honour of the two-time Olympic marathon winner Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia.
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. Radcliffe named as Abebe Bikila Award Winner. IAAF/NYRR (2006-10-28). Retrieved on 2010-10-31.Tergat to receive the Abebe Bikila Award . IAAF/NYRR (2010-10-28). Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
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.Litsky, Frank (2001-11-03). PLUS: ROAD RACING; Road Runners Club To Honor Giuliani. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2010-10-31. The 2009 winner, long-time road running organiser and event director Allan Steinfeld, was the third non-professional athlete to receive the award.Gambacinni, Peter (2009-10-28). Allan Steinfeld Wins Abebe Bikila Award. Runners World. Retrieved on 2010-10-31. The Rudin family, long-time sponsors of the New York Marathon, were the first non-individual recipients of the award in 2012.Gambaccini, Peter (2012-10-16). Rudin Family Will Get NYRR's Abebe Bikila Award. Runners' World. Retrieved on 2013-02-23.
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.Peace, Love, and... We Understand that the Race Is Tomorrow . New York Marathon. Retrieved on 2010-10-31.
Recipients
Year Recipient Country 1978 Ted Corbitt 1979 Emil Zátopek 1980 Lasse Virén 1981 Frank Shorter 1982 Mamo Wolde 1983 Grete Waitz 1984 Derek Clayton 1985 John Adelbert Kelley 1986 Joan Samuelson 1987 Sohn Kee-chung 1988 Alberto Salazar 1989 Bill Rodgers 1990 Waldemar Cierpinski 1991 Alain Mimoun 1992 Ingrid Kristiansen 1993 Rod Dixon 1994 Juma Ikangaa 1995 Fred Lebow 1996 Orlando Pizzolato 1997 Lisa Ondieki 1998 Rosa Mota 1999 Tegla Loroupe 2000 Khalid Khannouchi 2001 Rudolph Giuliani 2002 Allison Roe 2003 Kathrine Switzer 2004 Stefano Baldini 2005 Mizuki Noguchi 2006 Paula Radcliffe 2007 Not awarded 2008 Lornah Kiplagat 2009 Allan Steinfeld 2010 Paul Tergat 2011 Germán Silva 2012 Not awarded 2013 Rudin family 2014 Norbert Sander 2015 Haile Gebrselassie 2016 Mary Wittenberg 2017 Meb Keflezighi 2018 Deena Kastor 2019 Jenny Simpson 2020 Not awarded 2021 Eliud Kipchoge 2022 Nina Kuscsik 2023 Patti Catalano
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