Grete Waitz of Oslo, Norway died last Tuesday, April 19 due to cancer. She was 57 years old. She was considered as the fastest lady marathon runner from 1978 to 1988, except in 1981 when she DNFd the New York Marathon due to shin splints and when she placed 2nd and earned the Silver Medal in the 1984 Olympic Games’ Marathon Race. Nobody among the lady marathoners had broken her record of winning the Ladies New York Marathon for 9 times! She won also the Ladies Category in the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986. She was one of my marathon idols when I started to train and run for my marathons races in the 80’s. May she rest in peace!
In contrast, a young athlete, Sally Meyerhoff, a runner and a triathlete, died last March 7, 2011 due to cycling accident as she was bumped by a fast pick-up truck wile she was crossing a road intersection. She died on the spot. She was still young at the age of 27 and had the potentials to be a future Olympic Games athlete. What makes her more memorable is that she maintained a blog at http://runsal3.blogspot.com where she wrote her latest post entry a day before she died.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, there are more than 500,000 people in the US are treated in emergency department, and more than 700 people die due to cycling-related accidents.
In the Philippines, I have yet to find out the statistics of cycling-related accidents.
Bald Runner 
sir jovie,
re:cycling related deaths – more here than in the US around 1000+/yr as per the cycad groupd but these are people who main use the bicycle for transport – people you mostly see on their bikes going to work – workers,construction guys and the like who have no formal training in the rules/regulations on traffic. these are the normally the very same persons who zig-zag their way in traffic ala tricycle drivers.
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thanks for the info. i have yet to find out if we have athletes who had been victims of such vehicular accidents.
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This has to be one of the saddest running news I have ever heard. When I started running 1981. Grete Waitz was 1 of my idols.
she was not only fast but very humble. I still have a few old ” The Runner ” magazines of her.
She will be truly missed by the running community.
Makes you realize that we should always prepare ourselves for the next life with God .
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thanks, patrick for the comment. you are right. she is always be one of our marathon idols. very friendly and humble!
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