Awards presented in a variety of special categories, including Achilles Athlete of the Year, Joe Kleinerman Award, Ted Corbitt Dedicated Athlete of the Year, and Team Spirit Award
New York, February 16, 2024 — New York Road Runners (NYRR) honored Yenew Alamirew Getahun of West Side Runners, Marie-Ange Brumelot of #FasterTogether, and Jacob Caswell of Front Runners New York as its Fred Lebow Runners of the Year at NYRR Club Night at the Manhattan Center on Thursday. The awards were given to the top man, woman, and non-binary runners who have consistently exhibited the most superior performances over a variety of races and distances, are NYRR members, and have completed at least six fully scored NYRR races during the previous year.
NYRR Club Night has been a tradition for the non-profit since 1980, featuring an awards ceremony honoring the top-scoring teams in the NYRR club points series, the best age-group performers of the year, and special award winners. The awards committee is comprised of NYRR staff members and representatives from the local running community.
“New York Road Runners works with nearly 100 local run clubs across the five boroughs that help lay the foundation for what we do, and bringing them all together for a night of camaraderie and recognition is always a fantastic way to honor their contributions to the running community,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of NYRR. “Congratulations to Yenew, Marie-Ange, and Jacob for their outstanding achievements last year and for being great ambassadors for NYRR.”
In 2023, Getahun won five of the seven NYRR races he participated in, including the RBC Brooklyn Half, NYRR Queens 10K, New Balance Bronx 10 Mile, and NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K. He was also 25th at the TCS New York City Marathon.
Brumelot was a top-five finisher in eight of the NYRR races she completed, including a win at the Front Runners New York LGBT Pride Run 4M and a runner-up finish at the NYRR Ted Corbitt 15K.
Caswell won seven of their 14 NYRR races in the non-binary division, and finished second in the other seven, including a runner-up finish at the TCS New York City Marathon.
The following Special Awards were also presented at NYRR Club Night:
· Achilles Athlete of the Year: Julian Kane
Presented to an athlete with a disability whose dedication, perseverance, enthusiasm, and athletic success inspire all Achilles members to pursue their goals.
· Joe Kleinerman Award: Will Sanchez
Presented in recognition of outstanding and inspiring community service.
· Team Spirit Award: Misty Mountain Runners
Presented to the team whose members show their spirit by participating in NYRR weekly races, volunteering with NYRR during the year, and cheering for teammates in the TCS New York City Marathon.
· Ted Corbitt Dedicated Athlete of the Year: Al Shabana
Presented to an NYRR member who ran the most miles at NYRR races in 2023.
The complete list of NYRR Club Night winners can be found here.
NYRR works with more than 250 local running clubs during the year through its quarterly Club Council meetings, and encourages competition among clubs at NYRR races, many of which are scored and designated as club points races.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
