Latest news with #Kuscsik
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Nina Kuscsik, the first official female winner of the Boston Marathon, has died at the age of 86
Roberta Gibb, who ran Boston in 1966, was ignored by BAA officials. But when Kathrine Switzer obtained a bib the following year by using her initials on the entry form, gatekeeper Jock Semple made headlines by trying to rip off her number in mid-race. Advertisement Ms. Kuscsik, who made her marathon debut in Boston in 1969, became a runner by accident. Born Nina Louise Marmorino in Brooklyn, she was a versatile athlete, winning New York state championships in cycling, speedskating, and roller skating in the same year. But when her bicycle tire blew out in 1967, she decided to use her feet to stay in shape. 'I couldn't wait the two weeks it took to get [the tire],' Ms. Kuscsik said. 'For running all you need is a pair of shoes.' But the sight of a woman running laps around her Long Island block attracted notice. 'Every time it rained while I was training the police would stop me because they thought I was in trouble, that I was running away from something,' she said. Advertisement Ms. Kuscsik ran Boston unofficially three times. 'I knew that women weren't official but that didn't bother me at all,' she said. Along the way she developed an amicable rivalry with Sara Mae Berman, who won the final three unofficial races. 'Nina and I were not enemies, we were friends,' Ms. Berman recalled recently. 'When we ran, yes, we were competing, but each of us was pushing the other to do our best run for the day.' In 1970, Ms. Kuscsik, the mother of three, was the only female among 127 entrants in the inaugural New York City Marathon. The following year, after she made a proposal at the AAU conference to allow women to compete formally, the organization agreed to allow 'certain women' to race. Ms. Kuscsik decided that the 1972 Boston race would be a suitable site for a breakthrough. 'Boston was the place,' she said. 'It was the first race I had ever run. I didn't know there were any others.' The women's status as official competitors came with restrictions. They had to meet the men's qualifying standard and were required to have a separate start in Hopkinton. 'We drew a line on the sidewalk,' Ms. Kuscsik said, 'and everyone went off whenever they wanted to.' After checking the best times of her seven rivals, she reckoned that she had a good chance to win. But before the midway point of the race Ms. Kuscsik, who was wearing a Dacron-and-cotton, buttoned blouse and Danskin shorts, experienced gastrointestinal misery that soon became visible. 'What a weird experience that was,' she said. 'People were clapping as I went by them and then they stopped clapping because there was no other woman around. But I thought they'd stopped clapping because of what they saw.' Advertisement Her winning time of 3 hours, 10 minutes, 26 seconds she deemed as 'pretty lousy' despite her outclocking more than 600 men. But Ms. Kuscsik's victory margin of 10:09 still stands as a record. 'A very gutsy effort,' said Berman. 'All of us were proud of her.' The photo of men's winner Olavi Suomalainen kissing Ms. Kuscsik's cheek was published around the world. 'I was amazed at the amount of coverage,' she said. 'I didn't realize I was a part of a historic movement.' That autumn, Ms. Kuscsik continued her campaign for equal treatment at the New York event where she was one of 'Six Who Sat' at the starting line with signs to protest the AAU's 'archaic' requirement that the women start 10 minutes before or after the men. The rule was dropped later that year. Ms. Kuscsik, who won that race, went on to set a world record of 6:35:53 for 50 miles in Central Park and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight times. Ms. Kuscsik, who later chaired USA Track & Field's women's long-distance running committee, cofounded what became the New York Mini 10K, the first female-only road race. She also advocated for the women's marathon to be added to the Olympic program, which it was in 1984. Had the event existed in 1972, Ms. Kuscsik likely would have made the US team for Munich. And her Boston triumph would have earned her $150,000, plus $50,000 for her course record. 'I'm happy that I was where I was when I was,' she said. 'It was a different world then.' Advertisement Ms. Kuscsik, who was divorced, became a patient representative at Mount Sinai Medical Center after working as a nurse. She is survived by daughter Christina and sons Stephen and Timothy. John Powers can be reached at
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Running pioneer, Boston winner Nina Kuscsik dead at 86
Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year that they were officially allowed to race, has died aged 86. A funeral home notice said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate, and celebrated icon within the sport," the Boston Athletic Association said in a social media post. "To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile. "Nina held the distinct honour of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon, and recognised the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since." Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her licence at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling – all in the same year -- before turning to running when her bicycle broke. She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognised as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race, in 1970, and was one of the "Six who Sat" – six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979–81. She was inducted into the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999. Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year that they were officially allowed to race, has died aged 86. A funeral home notice said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate, and celebrated icon within the sport," the Boston Athletic Association said in a social media post. "To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile. "Nina held the distinct honour of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon, and recognised the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since." Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her licence at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling – all in the same year -- before turning to running when her bicycle broke. She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognised as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race, in 1970, and was one of the "Six who Sat" – six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979–81. She was inducted into the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999. Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year that they were officially allowed to race, has died aged 86. A funeral home notice said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate, and celebrated icon within the sport," the Boston Athletic Association said in a social media post. "To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile. "Nina held the distinct honour of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon, and recognised the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since." Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her licence at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling – all in the same year -- before turning to running when her bicycle broke. She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognised as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race, in 1970, and was one of the "Six who Sat" – six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979–81. She was inducted into the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999. Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year that they were officially allowed to race, has died aged 86. A funeral home notice said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate, and celebrated icon within the sport," the Boston Athletic Association said in a social media post. "To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile. "Nina held the distinct honour of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon, and recognised the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since." Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her licence at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling – all in the same year -- before turning to running when her bicycle broke. She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognised as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race, in 1970, and was one of the "Six who Sat" – six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979–81. She was inducted into the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Nina Kuscsik, marathon pioneer and first (official) winner of Boston women's race, has died
BOSTON (AP) — Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year that they were officially allowed to enter into the race, has died. She was 86. An obituary for the A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home in Huntington Station, New York, said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. 'Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate, and celebrated icon within the sport. To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile,' the Boston Athletic Association said on Instagram. 'Nina held the distinct honor of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon, and recognized the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since. The BAA extends heartfelt condolences to Nina's family, friends, and all in the running community who were touched by her grace.' According to the obituary, Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her license at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling – all in the same year -- before turning to running when her bicycle broke. She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognized as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race, in 1970, and was one of the 'Six who Sat' – six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. Kathrine Switzer, who entered the 1971 Boston Marathon using her initials and became the first woman to official compete, called Kuscsik 'one of our greatest leaders.' 'Nina was not only a champion runner, but was instrumental in the official acceptance of women and distance running because she did years of tough work of changing rules, regulations and submitting medical evidence to prove women's capability," said Switzer, who started alongside Kuscsik and six other women who met the qualifying time for the the 1972 Boston race. 'Eight of us registered, eight of us showed up, and all eight of us finished,' she said. 'It was a stunning moment — and a blistering hot day — but appropriately enough, Nina won.' In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979–81.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
‘Pioneer' Nina Kuscsik, first woman to win Boston Marathon after they could enter, dead at 86
BOSTON — Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year that they were officially allowed to enter into the race, has died. She was 86. An obituary for the A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home in Huntington Station, New York, said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. 'Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate, and celebrated icon within the sport. To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile,' the Boston Athletic Association said on Instagram. Advertisement 3 Nina Kuscsik is pictured in 1980. AP 3 Nina Kuscsik is pictured in 1979. AP 'Nina held the distinct honor of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon, and recognized the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since. The BAA extends heartfelt condolences to Nina's family, friends, and all in the running community who were touched by her grace.' According to the obituary, Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her license at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling — all in the same year — before turning to running when her bicycle broke. Advertisement She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognized as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race, in 1970, and was one of the 'Six who Sat' – six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. Kathrine Switzer, who entered the 1971 Boston Marathon using her initials and became the first woman to official compete, called Kuscsik 'one of our greatest leaders.' Advertisement 3 Olavi Suomalainen (l.) kisses Nina Kuscsik (r.) in 1972. AP 'Nina was not only a champion runner, but was instrumental in the official acceptance of women and distance running because she did years of tough work of changing rules, regulations and submitting medical evidence to prove women's capability,' said Switzer, who started alongside Kuscsik and six other women who met the qualifying time for the the 1972 Boston race. 'Eight of us registered, eight of us showed up, and all eight of us finished,' she said. 'It was a stunning moment — and a blistering hot day — but appropriately enough, Nina won.' Advertisement In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979–81. She was inducted into the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Nina Kuscsik, a marathon pioneer and 1st official winner of Boston women's race, dies at 86
BOSTON — Nina Kuscsik, who campaigned for women's inclusion in long-distance running and then won the Boston Marathon the first year they were officially allowed to enter the race, has died. She was 86. An obituary for the A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home in Huntington Station, N.Y., said Kuscsik died June 8 of respiratory failure after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. 'Nina was more than a pioneer, determined women's running advocate and celebrated icon within the sport. To us, she was a friend who will always be remembered for her kindness, joyful laugh and smile,' the Boston Athletic Association said on Instagram. 'Nina held the distinct honor of winning the 1972 Boston Marathon and recognized the platform that came with that triumphant moment, inspiring thousands of women to reach their own goals and finish lines in the decades since. The BAA extends heartfelt condolences to Nina's family, friends and all in the running community who were touched by her grace.' According to the obituary, Kuscsik graduated from high school at 16, studied nursing for two years and received her license at 18 after petitioning to change a New York law that required nurses to be 21. She won state championships in speed skating, roller skating and cycling — all in the same year — before turning to running when her bicycle broke. She ran the Boston Marathon four times from 1968-71 — before women were officially welcomed, a period retroactively recognized as the Pioneer Era — and then won the first official women's race in 1972. She was also the first woman to enter the New York race in 1970 and was one of the 'Six Who Sat' — six women who refused to start the '72 New York City Marathon for 10 minutes to protest an Amateur Athletic Union rule that the women's race had to be separate from the men's. She won that year and the next year as well. She later served on AAU and USA Track and Field committees drafting rules for women's running. Kathrine Switzer, who entered the 1971 Boston Marathon using her initials and became the first woman to officially compete, called Kuscsik 'one of our greatest leaders.' 'Nina was not only a champion runner but was instrumental in the official acceptance of women in distance running because she did years of tough work of changing rules, regulations and submitting medical evidence to prove women's capability,' said Switzer, who started alongside Kuscsik and six other women who met the qualifying time for the the 1972 Boston race. 'Eight of us registered, eight of us showed up and all eight of us finished. It was a stunning moment — and a blistering hot day — but appropriately enough, Nina won.' In addition to the more than 80 marathons she ran over her lifetime, Kuscsik set the American record for the 50-mile run in 1977 and won the Empire State Building Run-Up three straight years from 1979-81. She was inducted into the Long Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999.
