American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame
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The American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame was originally established by The American Ultrarunning Association (AUA) that was founded in 1990. This organization was established as the USA representative organization to the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU).
The American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame arose from the concern that the USATF Hall of Fame, which included over 300 inductees primarily from track and field events, was insufficiently equipped to adequately honor the prominent figures in ultrarunning who showed exceptional elite performance. An obvious example was the fact that Ted Corbitt, universally regarded as the “Father of American Ultrarunning,” and a former Olympic marathoner, was not in the USATF Hall of Fame. Nor would it be likely that any of the subsequent American ultrarunning inductees ever be realistically considered for the USATF Hall of Fame, as it is almost exclusively focused on track & field events, with an emphasis on success in the Olympic Games, which do not include ultrarunning.
In 2004, the AUA made the decision that it was time to recognize and select deserving members of the sport of ultrarunning with a Hall of Fame distinction. The initial inductees were Ted Corbitt and Sandra Kiddy. Beyond that, the aim was to maintain a certain stature of the HOF to insure it truly honored the best.
The AUA was dissolved in 2020. The American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame has been transferred to ultrarunninghistory.com under the direction of Davy Crockett.
- Frequently Asked Question about the Hall of Fame
- American Ultrarunning Association (AUA) History
- American Ultrarunning Association (AUA) Dissolved in 2020
- Learn about the history: Ultrarunning History Podcast
To be considered for the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame, candidates must be either retired from competition for 10 years or have reached the age of 60.