Barry Geisler and Jenny Simpson to be inducted into NYRR Hall of Fame
Willie Mtolo to receive Abebe Bikila Award
Peter Kirk and Alan Patricof to be honored with Legacy Awards at NYRR Night of Champions, which will feature special guest Patina Miller
Roger Robinson to be celebrated as George Hirsch Journalism Award winner
New York, Oct. 16, 2025— New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” New York City producing 60 annual adult and youth events, today announced this year’s inductees to its Hall of Fame, and winners of its Abebe Bikila, Legacy, and George Hirsch Journalism awards.
Youth program leader Barry Geisler and Olympian Jenny Simpson will be inducted into the NYRR Hall of Fame during the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines. The nonprofit will also present the Abebe Bikila Award to celebrated South African long-distance runner Willie Mtolo, Legacy Awards to entrepreneur Peter Kirk and longtime New York City Marathon runner Alan Patricof, and the George Hersch Journalism Award to sports journalist Roger Robinson. Tony–Award–winning actor Patina Miller will be honored as a special guest at NYRR Night of Champions.
This year’s honorees will be recognized throughout the week leading up to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon on Nov 2—the BEST day of the year, in the BEST city in the world—which is one of the most inclusive and accessible sporting events in the world with more than 55,000 runners and two million spectators.
“We are excited to honor these incredible award-winners and Hall of Fame inductees in the leadup to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO, New York Road Runners. “Each of this year’s honorees has made tremendous contributions to the sport—these are people that truly embody the transformative power of running.”
NYRR Hall of Fame
The NYRR Hall of Fame was inaugurated on Nov. 4, 2011, during the first-ever New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony celebration in Central Park. It honors all the legendary figures in the sport of running, who through their triumphs and contributions have made New York Road Runners and the TCS New York City Marathon what they are today. This year, the 2025 NYRR Hall of Fame will return to the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines, with inductees being celebrated as runners kick off race weekend.
An early member of New York Road Runners and native New Yorker from the Bronx, Geisler started the organization’s youth programs in 1966, when youth-focused run programs were rare. He served as New York Road Runners’ age group director, expanding the program to serve thousands of kids. His efforts to get kids running helped lay the groundwork for the nonprofit’s free, inclusive youth programs that share the sport of running with future generations, including Rising New York Road Runners—NYRR’s free flagship running-based youth program for more than 200,000 participants ages 2 to 18 across the country. He became a national leader in age-group running and started a national age-group cross country championship in Van Cortlandt Park. Geisler had a radically egalitarian approach to running, welcoming every child regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, or ability. This inclusive mindset helped create a culture that defines New York Road Runners to this day. He served as New York Road Runners’ sixth president (1971–72) and his work paved the way for the organization’s dramatic growth in the decades that followed.
Simpson is an eight-time winner of the 5th Avenue Mile (2011, 2013–19). A three-time Olympian, she won the 1,500-meter bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and earned three World Championships medals at the distance: gold in 2011 and silver in 2013 and 2017. She previously held the American record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Simpson was a Rising New York Road Runners Ambassador & Special Advisor from 2017 to 2021, serving as a mentor to youth runners and as a resource to coaches across the country. She received the 2019 Abebe Bikila Award for her outstanding contributions to the sport of distance running. After competing in the United Airlines NYC Half and TCS New York City Marathon in 2024, Simpson announced her retirement, continuing to run recreationally while advocating for running, fitness, and recreation.
Abebe Bikila Award
Named for record-breaking Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila, the award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running. The award will also be presented during the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines this year before the Hall of Fame induction.
Mtolo is a celebrated South African long-distance runner who made history at the 1992 New York City Marathon by becoming the first South African to win the race, shortly after apartheid was lifted. That same year, the end of the international sports boycott allowed Mtolo to compete abroad for the first time, where he triumphed in his debut international marathon. His victory marked a powerful new chapter for South African sport, paving the way for other athletes to compete on the world stage. Mtolo built a dominant career at home, winning numerous marathons and finishing runner-up twice at the Comrades Marathon, South Africa’s iconic ultramarathon. Barred for years from competing internationally, he organized charity runs for peace in areas where Black South Africans had been restricted under apartheid. A symbol of resilience and hope, Willie Mtolo’s legacy extends far beyond his victories—he helped open doors for a new generation of South African athletes.
Legacy Award and Night of Champions
The Legacy Award is given to individuals or organizations making tremendous contributions to New York Road Runners or the New York City running community, and whose vision supports and aligns with those of the nonprofit. The award is presented at NYRR Night of Champions Oct. 30—the nonprofit’s premier benefit which supports New York Road Runners’ commitment to transforming the health and well-being of New York City communities through free and inclusive running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential.
Kirk is the CEO of physician-first healthcare platform Sermo and a cancer survivor who ran the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon three months after receiving a life-saving blood stem cell transplant. He is being honored for his unwavering commitment to New York Road Runners’ mission, his belief in the nonprofit’s work, and his generous support of New York Road Runners’ first-ever East 89th St Productions project, the documentary short film “Final Finishers.”
At 88 years old, venture capital legend and lifelong New Yorker Patricof was the oldest finisher of the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon, out of 47,839 participants. Patricof also ran the very first New York City Marathon in 1970 and the inaugural five-borough edition in 1976. He is the founder of the venture capital firm Alan Patricof Associates and co-founder of Primetime Partners, a venture capital fund aimed at investing in companies that serve older adults.
A special guest also receiving recognition at Night of Champions, Miller is a 2023 TCS New York City Marathon finisher who is returning to run the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. She is a passionate supporter of Team for Kids and mentor for NYRR Run for the Future, a free program for New York City high school young women, demonstrating a fierce commitment to empowering the next generation of athletes. A Grammy and Tony Award–winning actress and singer, Miller brings the same passion and dedication to the stage as she does to the running community.
To purchase tickets to NYRR Night of Champions or support with a donation, please visit https://one.bidpal.net/nightofchampions2025/welcome.
George Hirsch Journalism Award
Named for magazine publisher and former Chair of the New York Road Runners Board of Directors, the George Hirsch Journalism Award recognizes excellence in the reporting, writing, and broadcasting of the sport of marathon running and long-distance running. The award will be presented at a private media luncheon during the week leading up to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.
Robinson is a running writer and commentator who has chronicled the sport for over four decades. Robinson has served as a race announcer, television commentator, and oral historian, interviewing key figures in New York running history. Throughout his career as both an English professor and running journalist, he has championed running’s development as a rich cultural phenomenon.
His involvement began when he won the masters division at the 1980 New York City Marathon and described the race as “a social and cultural phenomenon of unique importance.” He became a prominent voice in running journalism through his work at publications including Running Times, Runner’s World, and Podium Runner. In New Zealand, he provided live television commentary on iconic New York City Marathon victories by Allison Roe (1981) and Rod Dixon (1983). Roger’s books “When Running Made History” and “Running Throughout Time” explore running’s cultural significance and history. He’s written extensively about New York running culture—from the 1909 “marathon mania” to contemporary races. His creative pieces for New York Runner, such as imagining a run through Central Park guided by its designers Olmsted and Vaux, showcase his literary approach. And his post-9/11 essay “A Run in Central Park” stands as one of the finest literary responses to that tragedy.
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About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
A New York City-based nonprofit, New York Road Runners’ vision is to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running – serving nearly a half a million people annually through its races, free community events, youth running initiatives, and school-based programs across the five boroughs. During its nearly 70 years, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, producing more than 60 adult and youth races each year, including the TCS New York City Marathon. Held the first Sunday each November, the TCS New York City Marathon features more than 55,000 runners—from the world’s best professional athletes to a vast range of runners across experience levels, ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.