"We All Loved Art"

For people who knew Art Hall, it’s hard to believe he's been gone 10 years. Starting in the early 1970s, Art was a constant presence on the New York–area running scene, toeing the line at race after race and going head-to-head with not only top local competitors but the best in the world.

Art had a big impact behind the scenes as well, serving on the NYRR Board of Directors, founding Staten Island’s North Shore Track Club, and coaching dozens of local runners of all ages and abilities.

First, a Pioneer

A native of Harlem, Art distinguished himself in track at Charles Evans Hughes High School in Manhattan and was mentored by Ted Corbitt, who saw promise in the young runner, went to his races, and offered advice. The two would often discuss strategy over the phone.

When Art graduated in 1964 Corbitt recruited him to join the New York Pioneer Club. Weeks later Hall helped the NYPC take second place at the national 25K championships in Flushing Meadows, Queens.

According to Corbitt’s son, running historian Gary Corbitt, “NYPC would never have placed second without Hall’s contribution. He was the fourth man on the NYPC team that was comprised of three Olympians: my father, Gordon McKenzie, and Abe Fornes.”

Adds Art’s son, Art Hall IV, “My dad was inspired by Corbitt’s groundbreaking achievements in running and wanted to follow in his footsteps with the NYPC.” Later in his career, Art would beat his mentor at all distances up to the marathon.

Record-Setting Runner

Art moved to the West Brighton section of Staten Island in 1970 and honed his running talent by logging high mileage and racing relentlessly. He finished in the top six at the New York City Marathon four times in the 1970s and placed in the top 20 at Boston in 1976. He ran his lifetime best time of 2:22:07 at Boston in 1978. Art also won the 1975 Penn Relays Marathon and still holds Staten Island records at five distances.

Throughout the 1970s and ’80s Art regularly competed with many of the country's top distance runners such as Corbitt, Gary Muhrcke, Norb Sander, and others. His race-day face was intense and fierce as he ran with elbows out, pushed the pace from the start, and held on grittily to the finish, leaving it all out there whether the venue was a local all-comers meet or a world-class event.

Like Corbitt, Art incorporated running into his daily commute. He never owned a car; in the mornings he ran 3 miles from his home to the Staten Island Ferry, then ran from South Ferry in Manhattan to Midtown, where he worked as a dental technician. After work he repeated the journey in reverse for a total of 15-20 miles a day.

Fearless Competitor with a Kind Heart

Art’s strong finishes in the 1972 and 1973 New York City Marathon made him a master of the unforgiving four-loop Central Park course. In 1974, race day was warm and humid, and inexperienced runners wilted—including a young, unheralded Bill Rodgers, who would win the event four times after it became a five-borough race.

Rodgers remembers his interaction with Art during the 1974 race. “I was still trying to master the marathon and pretty much collapsed and was done at mile 20. Art stopped, helped me up, and I hobbled to the finish with his help,” Rodgers said. “He told me I had talent and not give up on the marathon. I didn’t even know the guy at the time.”

Inspiration and Guide to Others

Naturally gregarious, Art always had a ready smile and a story to tell. After a no-holds-barred race he’d gather his running buddies and talk about family, life in general, and goals in and out of running—and tell stories.

Art kept an eye out for young runners who might need guidance during a time when training advice could be hard to find. To fill the void, he founded the North Shore Track Club (now defunct) and served as its longtime coach.

The club was open to runners of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. “Art would never turn anyone away,” said Jeff Benjamin, who approached Hall when he was 16 and wanted to run faster.

“I met with him and after a few seconds he welcomed me to the club,” added Jeff, who later wrote about running for Staten Island newspapers.

Another former North Shore member, Bob Baroz, recalled Art’s impact on his life starting in high school. “He talked with me about competing in college but at the time nobody in my family had ever graduated from college,” he recalled. Art’s letter to a college coach got Bob a letter of acceptance; he graduated, went on to get a master’s degree, and in 2011 was named a Teaching Ambassador Fellow by the Obama administration.

Challenging Stereotypes

Runners from the 1970s and 80s recall the false assumptions sometimes made about Black runners—that they could sprint, but not prevail over long distances.

“As a Black teenage distance runner in the early 70s I was often informed by both family and friends that Blacks can’t run distance,” said Bill Meredith, who met Art at a road race that Art had won.

“He immediately became my role model,” said Meredith, who also became a close friend.

Art found a kindred spirit in Kathrine Switzer, the 1974 New York City Marathon champion and women’s running pioneer. They shared a unique friendship, Switzer recalled, as both were minorities in the world of distance running at the time. “We encouraged each other a lot, always cheering for each other loudly in every race," she said.

Making a Difference for Youth

Art was passionate about youth running, and as a member of NYRR’s Board of Directors (he's shown above, far left, with NYRR leaders and local running standouts) he worked with Fred Lebow to create the Urban Running program, which provided free running clinics to kids in New York City public schools in the 1980s.

In the late 1990s Urban Running helped spark the idea for an NYRR youth running program that has evolved into Rising New York Road Runners, a free nationwide youth fitness platform.

Loved by All

It’s probably not possible to find a runner with a bad word to say about Art Hall. “He was never less than gracious, effusive, and welcoming to all,” said Peter Gambaccini, who competed against Art in the 70s. “To me, the three great fixtures of Staten Island are the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the ferry, and Art Hall."

Jeff Benjamin said simply, “We all loved Art.”

Art died at age 64 from heart failure on September 12, 2011. He was inducted into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2015 the borough renamed the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Clove Road “Art Hall Way.”

Gary Corbitt posthumously presented the New York Pioneer Club Award of Distinction to Art Hall the same year, and referred to him as “running royalty, a true ambassador of the sport.”