Art Hall (1947–2011) was a Harlem native mentored by Ted Corbitt, and he was a constant presence on the New York area running scene starting in the early 1970s. Corbitt recruited Hall to join the New York Pioneer Club, and weeks later Hall took second place at the national 25K championships. He then moved to Staten Island and started racing relentlessly, pushing the boundaries for Black runners, who at the time were told they could sprint but not prevail over long distances.

Hall finished in the top six at the New York City Marathon four times in the 1970s and won the 1975 Penn Relays Marathon. He served on NYRR’s Board of Directors, founded Staten Island’s North Shore Track Club, and co-created the Urban Running program, which provided free running clinics to New York City public schools in the 1980s and eventually sparked the idea for NYRR’s free youth running programs.