TCS New York City Marathon 1972 ballot: 3rd edition, 187 finishers
Run entirely in Central Park on 1 October 1972, the 3rd New York City Marathon is remembered less for Sheldon Karlin's winning 2:27:52 than for the six women, led by champion Nina Kuscsik, who sat at the start in protest of the AAU rule forcing women to begin 10 minutes before the men.
What made 1972 notable
New York 1972 turned a small Central Park loop race into a civil rights moment. Moments before the start, six women sat on the road for 10 minutes, holding hand-lettered signs against the AAU rule that forced women to begin 10 minutes before the men. Nina Kuscsik led them, then ran on to win the women's race in 3:08:41, having already taken Boston that spring to become the first woman to win both in one year. Officials still added 10 minutes to the women's recorded times, but the separate start fell later in 1972. Sheldon Karlin won the men's race in 2:27:52. Of 187 finishers, only two were women.
Applications over time
Time qualifier standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:53:00 | 3:13:00 |
| 35-39 | 2:58:00 | 3:15:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:03:00 | 3:26:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:13:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:18:00 | 3:51:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:28:00 | 4:10:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:43:00 | 4:27:00 |
| 65-69 | 3:58:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:13:00 | 5:30:00 |
| 75-79 | 4:28:00 | 6:00:00 |
| 80-84 | 4:48:00 | 6:35:00 |
| 85-89 | 5:03:00 | 6:35:00 |
| 90+ | 5:18:00 | 6:35:00 |
Questions about the 1972 ballot
Why was the 1972 NYC Marathon notable?
Six women, led by champion Nina Kuscsik, sat at the Central Park start line for 10 minutes to protest the AAU rule that forced women to begin 10 minutes before the men. Known as the Six Who Sat, their stand helped end the separate start later in 1972, though officials still added 10 minutes to the women's recorded times.
Who won the 1972 NYC Marathon?
Sheldon Karlin of the United States won the men's race in 2:27:52, ahead of Glenn Appell of the United States in 2:32:51 and Pat Bastick of the United States in 2:33:42. Nina Kuscsik of the United States won the women's race in 3:08:41, with Patricia Barrett of the United States second in 3:29:33, the only two women to finish. Kuscsik had also won Boston that year, the first woman to take both in one year.
When was the 1972 NYC Marathon held?
Sunday 1 October 1972, run entirely in Central Park. It was the 3rd edition of the New York City Marathon, with 187 finishers, 185 men and 2 women.
What were the 1972 NYC Marathon ballot numbers?
There were none. In 1972 the New York City Marathon used open entry with a small flat fee rather than a ballot, lottery, or drawing, so application and acceptance figures are not listed here.