This week the running world lost a legend. I lost a dear friend. When I heard that Nina Kuscsik passed away, my reaction was one of surprise and profound sadness. Not surprised that her health had been failing, but one never expects this kind of news. Sadness is full of mixed emotions, because the loss is great, yet there is much to celebrate about her life and the legacy she leaves in her wake.
Nina is the woman who began to fight early on for women’s rights to run a marathon distance when our sport federation, the AAU, forbade us to do so into the late 60s and early 70s. They insisted we were incapable, called us “frail,” and said it was harmful for our health. Subsequently, she fought through law and legislation work in the AAU to successfully grow the longer distances sanctioned for women to race. Ultimately, she obtained a women’s division in both the Boston and New York Marathons. How fitting that she is the first official women’s winner in both races.
At the time, I didn’t even knew what a marathon was, after all, I was a miler who raced on the track. But I watched my first marathon in December of 1971 when my track and cross country teammate Cheryl Bridges (aka: Flanagan and now Treworgy) become the first woman to break the 2:50 mark and win a local marathon in Culver City, whose official title was Western Hemisphere Marathon. Before Cheryl, there was Nina, who was one of two women who first broke the 3:00 hour barrier — Beth Bonner first, with Nina a close second place, both of them under the then world record.
If not for Cheryl, I never would’ve had the notion to run a marathon. If not for Nina, I never would’ve heard about Boston. I was empowered by them to try, and I won both those marathons on my first attempt at both within a year. I could not predict how these two women shaped my life for the rest of my future.
Nina and I have a storied friendship ever since we met (1973). We competed together in the first women’s international marathon sponsored by Dr. Ernst van Aaken in Waldniel, West Germany (yes, when there was a west and an east), in 1974. This photo is from that race. The weather brought strong headwinds, and we were taking turns to be a wind-break for each other. That’s Nina, mentoring me how to run road races, a whole new world to me. In later years, one time we were running the hills of San Francisco and she gently put her hand on the small of my back to boost me uphill (I was pregnant and she knew that would help). She continually mentored me.
When the International Runners Committee formed in 1979 to fight for women’s rights to run distance events in the Olympics, Nina was one of the first to be voted in. She was the longstanding Women’s Long Distance Running Committee Chair (of the AAU / TAC / now USATF). So you can see, she was a warrior at every every stage of the battle changing the status quo in the history of our sport. There were 13 members on the IRC and each one of us brought a unique set of skills and expertise to the cause. The inimitable Nina Kuscsik played a key role.
I am grateful that Nina did not leave us before celebrating her 50th anniversaries both in Boston and New York. I did not attend the celebration in NY, but I was pleased to witness her in the limelight at Boston (photos attached). Her smile shone bright as ever, her soul full of joy as always. She will be missed, but certainly never forgotten. As many have said, her place in history is secured. She left this world in a better place than she found it.
If you would like to hear Nina at her best, here is a video including her interview on a panel discussion celebrating women’s running at the 2013 Napa Valley Marathon with Joe Henderson moderating. It’s my favorite.
View the presentation here below: (1 hour 23 minutes in full)
Women’s Marathon Movement Presentation at Napa Valley Marathon 2013