Believe it or not, it’s been 49 years since the NYC Marathon go its feet under it and started running through Central Park with the help of Marathon Co-Founder Vincent Chiappetta (https://blogs.yu.edu/news/vincent-chiappetta-yu-biology-professor-nyc-marathon-co-founder/). Chiappetta arguably one of the most important people in New York City’s running history. He began volunteering at races in 1963, and his running career began at NYU in the mid-1950s. Chiappetta still proudly supports the NYC Marathon runners on race day, though he doesn’t run the race himself anymore. The current organizers of the New York City Marathon have planned a year-long schedule of events—celebrating half century of running—to run throughout 2020. Even though it turns 49 this year, the NYC Marathon and interest in the sport of long-distance running is still going strong. Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners (NYRR), told Reuters recently, “I think there are more people interested in running a marathon now than there ever have been,” said Capiraso. “From a standpoint of participation and demand, it’s never been stronger certainly for us here in New York.”
Known in long distance running for being a tireless early proponent of allowing women to compete in running sports on an even basis with men, and for embracing the movement to make long distance running a separate sport from track and field, Chiappetta also worked tirelessly over many decades to change the rules of the sport to be more athlete friendly. Key moments in the history of long-distance running and track and field resulted from Vince’s leadership. During his long and respected career, he even got to teach Fred Lebow the sport of long-distance running.
These days Chiappetta may only run a mile or two a day for fun, but he’s still immersed in his passion for the sport of long-distance running in other ways. Currently he is participating in a show called Gotta Run. To date, Gotta Run has recorded 261 full episodes and over 50 Gotta Run with Will Moments. These programs can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GottaRunWithWill/videos. Gotta Run allows a new generation of long-distance runners to “meet” well-known personalities from the running community and learn how they have used the gift of running to transform their lives and to better the lives of others.
Chiapetta recently released a book of his artwork and poetry called New York As We Know It. It was a No. 1 Best Seller in Canada and the USA in multiple categories including Running and Jogging, Two-Hour Sports and Outdoor Sports,Poetry, and Exercise and Fitness. It was a hot new release and is currently availlable at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/New-York-as-We-Know-ebook/dp/B081H7C24D
Chiappetta is available for interviews. To schedule an interview, please reach out to him at: vincentchiappettabook@gmail.com or chiappet@yu.edu