Grete Waitz

Marathon Runner

Grete Waitz (née Andersen, 1 October 1953 – 19 April 2011) was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder.In 1979, at the New York City Marathon, she became the first woman in history to run the marathon in under two and a half hours.

Waitz won nine New York City Marathons, women's division, between 1978 and 1988, the highest number of victories in a single big city marathon in history.

She won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki.

She was also a five-time winner of the World Cross Country Championships.Waitz four times set a world record in the marathon, twice at the 3000 metres, and she set world records at distances of 8 kilometers, 10 kilometers, 15 kilometers and 10 miles.

She won 12 World Marathon Majors, the most for any runner, earning her a place in the Guinness World Records.Her other marathon victories included winning the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986 and the Stockholm Marathon in 1988.