Grete Waitz is dead

rest in peace grete, may you run free with the Lord in His mighty presence and may your family and friends be touched by His grace through this hard time. Run Free, Forever

rest in peace grete, may you run free with the Lord in His mighty presence and may your family and friends be touched by His grace through this hard time. Run Free, Forever

There is a story that after Grete won her first NYCM, she was so mad at her husband Jack for convincing her to run such a crazy distance. She vowed never to do one again.

Thankfully, she had second thoughts.

I agree with the comment that Grete singlehandedly dragged women's running into the modern era! Olympian at 1500m, WR at 3000m and multiple XC champion, not to mention her NINE (9!) NYCM wins.

RIP Grete.

Wasn't it Grete Waitz and Joan Benoit who threatened to boycott the l984 Olympics in LA if they didn't add the womens marathon? They led the fight to get the womens marathon, and later the 10K, added to the Olympics.

I met her a few times - I was always a bit surprised to see how shy and yet gracious she was. A great lady and a great athlete. She survived quite a few years while fighting that cancer. At one time I believe she thought she had it beat. A great loss for all we runners and womens athletics in general.

A 1979 article about Grete by Kenny Moore...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1095514/1/index.htm

"Don't run with her in the morning," says Arne Kvalheim, a former Olympic 1,500-meter runner and now an Oslo city councilman. "She runs too fast. A 5:45 mile pace right out the front door."

I had no idea she was even sick. It is sad news when anyone gets cancer.

I hope she is at peace now.

Run Free Grete wrote:

rest in peace grete, may you run free with the Lord in His mighty presence and may your family and friends be touched by His grace through this hard time. Run Free, Forever

Must we have this BS on every thread?

As usual that was a great SI piece by Moore. It is interesting that if it weren't for the systematic doping of Olympic events by the Eastern Bloc, Grete would have probably simply enjoyed a solid career at 1500m, winning some medals (at least one gold), and that would be that. Instead they pushed her into cross and onto the roads where instead she changed history. She didn't get mad (at least not publicly) but boy did she get even!

Great champion, even greater person

a huge loss and such a classy person. A sad day.

Very sad day. R.I.P. You were one of the greats.

Long live Grete Waitz, a true soul, a great champion. She inspired me when I began running and throughout my life. Peace

When was this announced? Do you have a link to a press statement, article etc. I do not think she or Kack ever went into the details publicly.Someone who is a close enough friend to have them as houseguests told me-they never said, we never asked.

Adult supervision wrote:

It's not a secret. It was brain cancer. Something you don't have to worry about. Now run along, troll.

When I was a new highschool runner back in the 80's she quickly became my first hero. I was and continued to be drawn by her quiet and humble way, even though she was just so amazing and easy to idolize. My own daughter is a highschool freshman and runner. I told her today about Grete and that I hoped these current superstars can rise to the occasion and be like Grete to my daughter's generation. One classy lady, she will never be forgotten. My prayers to her family.

This loss is hard to take. RIP Grete.

I just listened to her talk at google:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nf0FYS8AaE

Loved watching her race when I was kid because she looked like kid just out there having fun (and winning!)

In 1993, a year after running a 5:32 with the dying Fred Lebow, Grete was determined to cheer perennial last-place finisher Zoe Koplowitz at the finish line. Zoe suffered from MS, so she took over 24 hours to finish. When Zoe finally crossed the line at 6:30AM, Grete learned that nobody had a medal for her, so Grete ran back to her hotel room to give her the medal that her husband had received the day before.

RIP Grete.

That was a great story and I was hoping someone would post that. That story tells what type of person she was.

She's an icon. I regret never getting to meet her in person. She seemed like a strong, beautiful person inside and out.

a graceful, unique and special person. Your running

inspired a generation. Rest now xxx