5/12/2015
By Ivan Pereira
The head of the New York Road Runners announced Tuesday she’s stepping down from the position to start a new lifestyle and fitness company.
Mary Wittenberg said she was grateful for the 17 years she worked at the athletic group, which organizes the New York City Marathon, especially the decade where she served as its first female president.
“My days at NYRR have been fueled by the inspiration all around me and it has been an immense privilege to serve our runners and community while working side by side with so many amazing partners,” she said in a statement.
Wittenberg, 52, will be the CEO of Virgin Sport which will organize running, biking and other sporting events around the world. During her tenure as president, the Road Runners expanded to create new races throughout the five boroughs that included more than 400,000 participants.
She also led the organization following the marathon’s first cancellation in 2012 following superstorm Sandy and helped create relief efforts for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings a few months later.
The Road Runners named Michael Capiraso and Peter Ciaccia as the new presidents. Capiraso will also serve as CEO while Ciaccia will be the marathon’s race director.
“NYRR’s events are the backbone of our mission driven effort to get people of all ages moving toward a healthy lifestyle,” Ciaccia said in a statement.
