Today, the New York City Marathon is one of the most inclusive races in the world, often called the world’s most diverse marathon. For instance, in 2021 the race made headlines for including nonbinary runners, among the first to do so, and in 2022 the race worked to be more supportive of breastfeeding mothers, opening breastfeeding stations along the run route. The marathon route itself also showcases the diversity of the Big Apple, working its way through all five boroughs and showcasing many of the ethnic groups that call New York home.
The New-York Historical Society’s new exhibit, Running for Civil Rights, centers around two remarkable Black men who helped make the marathon the diverse marvel that it is today. The exhibition is an important tribute to Joseph Yancy, who founded the New York Pioneers Club in 1936, an organization integral in popularizing running in New York and fighting segregation, and his protege Ted Corbitt, the first African American to compete in the Olympics’ marathon event and a major force behind the New York City Marathon.
