A Bronx Week Part III: The Cherry Tree Marathon

Without meaning to do so, I've turned this week into Bronx theme week. I'm going to continue that trend with another Bronx-related post but rest assured, the other boroughs will get their due. Over the next month or so, I'll highlight each borough so that come Nov. 4, you'll already be familiar with the 5 boroughs.


Earlier in the year, some folks seemed disappointed to hear that NYRR had downgraded it's Bronx race from a half-marathon to a 10 miler. Losing those 3.1 miles may sounds like a drastic change, but did you know that NYRR used to host a full marathon in the Bronx?

John Kelley winning the 1961 race. Photo: NYTimes

On February 22, 1959, George Washington's birthday, the nascent Road Runners Club-New York Association held it's first marathon. The event, aptly named the Cherry Tree Marathon, started and finished in Macomb's Dam Park, just across the street from Yankee Stadium. Runners then followed the hilly Sedgwick Avenue to Fordham Road and back--three times! Ted Corbitt, NYRR's early president, won the inaugural Cherry Tree Marathon in 2:38:57, beating

The race continued to grow over the next decade but it had a few shortcomings: there were no aid stations for runners; the roads were not closed to traffic; and there were hardly any spectators. That didn't stop some of the country's best runners from turning out, though. In 1961 and 1962, John Kelley (the Younger), two-time Olympian and winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon, took first in 2:25:27.5 and 2:29:55, respectively.

When a mediocre runner in his mid-30s ran the Cherry Tree Marathon for the first time in 1969 he got an idea, move it! That man was Fred Lebow.

In the early 1970s the race was moved to Central Park where it continued to be run in February for several years until it faded away, replaced by another race, the New York City Marathon. Still, it's fun to know that the Bronx is where it all started, over 50 years ago.

A Bronx Weekend: Part I

Okay, so my posting has been a little off lately. I promise you I have a good reason, and one I'll go into detail on a little later. For now, I'm trying to get back into a posting routine and promise and least two posts per week.

I may live in Manhattan, but his weekend my running life was really all about a different borough--the Bronx. On Friday after work I hopped my usual train home, the 7th Avenue Express, but instead of continuing into Harlem I transferred at 96th Street. My destination? Van Cortlandt Park. Usually I head to VCP when I want to get in trail running but on this particular day I was there to take advantage of their track.

Runners warming up under ominous skies. Photo from MM.

The Metropolitan Milers, a group founded by Central Park Track Club member and USATF-certified coach Neil Fitzgerald, holds a "Friday Night Miles" series in the weeks leading up to the 5th Avenue Mile. Neil leads runners through a series of warm-ups, offers great advice on how to race the distance, and then gives runners a chance to put that advice to good use. The women's race went off around 6:40pm and then the men went in two heats of around 10 guys each.

The whole thing was a ton of fun! I was in the second heat with one of my teammates and in spite of having run Yasso 800s the night before, I ran a respectable 5:32 (my teammate ran a 5:23!). Hopefully in two weeks time when I toe the line on 5th Avenue, I can put that experience to good use.

There's one more Friday Night Miles event schedule for this week and if you live in the 5 boroughs (or Westchester) and: (a) love racing miles; (b) hate racing miles; or (c) have never raced a mile, I really recommend it.  For just $10 you get a great opportunity to learn something and race with a bunch of really fun people.

Stay tuned for Part II of my oh-so-exciting Bronx-centric weekend.