Abebe Bikila Award

The Abebe Bikila Award is an annual prize given by the New York Road Runners club (NYRR) to honour individuals who have made a significant contribution to the sport of long-distance running.

The first recipient of the award was Ted Corbitt, a founder of both NYRR and the Road Runners Club of America, who received the honour on October 27, 1978.

Past winners of the award include: Olympic gold medallists Frank Shorter, Rosa Mota and Lasse Virén; world record breakers Paula Radcliffe, Khalid Khannouchi and Paul Tergat; and multiple major marathon winners Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar and Joan Samuelson.

The 2001 award was given to Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani on the basis of his dedication to the city in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

[4] The 2009 winner, long-time road running organiser and event director Allan Steinfeld, was the third non-professional athlete to receive the award.

Czech runner Emil Zátopek was the first foreign winner.
Olympic marathon winner Sohn Kee-chung of Korea was the first Asian to receive the prize.
Joan Samuelson was the second female athlete to take the award.