Cherry Tree Marathon
Marathon in New York City, US, 1959–1972
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cherry Tree Marathon was a marathon first held on February 22, 1959, in the Bronx. It was the first marathon held by New York Road Runners, then called the Road Runners Club, New York Association. In a field of twelve competitors, club president Ted Corbitt won with a time of 2:38:57.[1][2] The race was held in the Bronx annually through 1970,[3] beginning and ending in Macombs Dam Park, near Yankee Stadium, and consisting of trips up Sedgwick Avenue and back, along the Harlem River.[4]
In 1971, the marathon was held in Central Park, when it was called the Earth Day Marathon,[5] and again in 1972,[6] when it was run for the last time.
It is considered the predecessor to the New York City Marathon[2][7] and is also a predecessor to the Long Island Marathon, which was called the Earth Day Marathon when it was first run in Nassau County in 1973.[8]
