AIMS President Hiroaki Chosa Visits New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon – By Horst Milde

AIMS president Hiroaki Chosa /Japan visited the New York City Marathon and the oldest marathon in the world (since 1897), the famous Boston Marathon, from April 7 – 12, 2010.

After an almost 20-year successful “reign”, president Chosa will not be up for re-election in the fall of 2010 at the 18th AIMS World Congress in Athens.  He saw it as his duty to pay his regards to the founders of AIMS, the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon, in recognition of their great achievements – and to thank them for their pioneering work for the international running and marathon movement over the past decades. Fred Lebow (New York City) and Will Cloney (Boston) were the co-founders of AIMS; both have since passed away. William T. Cloney was elected as the first AIMS president on May 6-7, 1982 in London, which made this visit even more significant.

The AIMS delegation included not only Hiroaki Chosa, but also vice-president Francisco (Paco) Borao (Valencia) and Horst Milde, long-time race director and founder of the Berlin Marathon.

In New York City, they first met with Allan Steinfeld, who followed as race director of the New York City Marathon and is president of the New York Road Runners Club.  The AIMS delegation also met with Ann Wells Crandell, senior vice-president and Richard Finn, press director for the New York Road Runners (NYCM president Mary Wittenberg was not able to attend as she had an invitation from First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House at the same time). Chosa especially emphasised the international importance of the New York City Marathon for the development of the marathon boom and thanked the organisers for their exemplary support of the sport of running for both the general public and for elite athletes and wished them continued success.

It was a real mater of the heart for Hiroaki Chosa to visit the Boston Marathon, an active AIMS member and the oldest marathon in the world, started in 1897.  In Boston, the AIMS delegation met with Thomas S. Grilk, president of the BAA, Gloria G. Ratti, vice-president and Guy Morse, race director.

A special ceremony was planned to recognise and honour the achievements of the first AIMS president William T. Cloney, who died on January 16, 2003 at age 91. A quiet memorial took place at the cemetery in Milton, Massachusetts, which was also attended by William T. Cloney’s daughter, Mia Menjes.

Will Cloney, who was greatly responsible for the continuation of the Boston Marathon, was its race director from 1947 – 1982, president of the Boston Athletics Association (BAA) from 1964 – 1982 and the first president of AIMS from 1982 – 1983. 

The gathering concluded with a dinner in the famous Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, the legendary athletes’ hotel for the Boston Marathon near the finish line, and with an affirmation of the mutual respect and appreciation for the decades of harmonious cooperation in the interest of the sport of running.

Horst Milde