Grete Waitz Reveals She Has Cancer
by RunTex Staff, 6/21/2005

Grete Waitz, the most distinguished woman marathoner in history has disclosed that she is suffering from cancer. She revealed this to a Norwegian weekly magazine late last week and that she is receiving treatment at a hospital in Oslo.

Waitz has been in contact with Allan Steinfeld and Mary Wittenberg of the New York Road Runners Club who described her as in "excellent spirits." Wittenberg, the president of the NY Road Runners Club, sent an email to the staff which read: "Grete is a dear friend of the sport of running and important part of our family at the Road Runners Club. Starting from her days as an international track and cross-country star to her first New York City Marathon in 1978, she has been a leader in our sport."

The winner of nine New York City Marathons, Waitz, 51, also won two London Marathons as well as the first World Championship Marathon for women in 1983. She set numerous world records on the track and roads during her illustrious career.

Since her retirement from competitive running in 1990, Waitz and her husband Jack have lived in homes in Gainesville, Florida and Oslo where she was born and raised. Waitz has written two books on running and has been active in promoting the sport of women's running both in American and Norway. Although she hasn't competed for many years, Waitz continued to run on a daily basis.

A very private woman, it was undoubtedly extremely difficult for Waitz to disclose she is battling an undisclosed type of cancer.

"I have been diagnosed with cancer recently," Waitz said in a statement to the Norwegian magazine, "and I am receiving treatment for the disease in Oslo. As everyone surely knows, this is a difficult situation for me and those closest to me. This is really a matter that I would have preferred to keep to myself, but on the other side, I am a reasonably well-known person and there are surely those who have seen me going in and out of the hospital."

Waitz would not reveal the type of cancer, the type of treatment she is receiving or what level of advancement of the cancer.