Cincuenta años de la Mini
Updated February 2024
The Mastercard New York Mini 10K began in 1972 as the first women-only road race, known as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon. The Mini has had more than 200,000 finishers, and the 2022 event was the 50th running.
We share five "Mini Moments” that define the history of the Mini.
The First Mini and First 10K
On June 3, 1972, the first women-only road race, the six-mile Crazylegs Mini Marathon, made its debut. There were 72 finishers—a huge number at the time. Three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.
In 1975, the Mini distance shifted from 6 miles to 10K (6.2 miles) to align with a standard racing distance for roads and track.
Extraordinary 5-Time Champions
Three women, Grete Waitz of Norway, Tegla Loroupe of Kenya, and Susannah Scaroni of the United States, each won the Mini an amazing five times. Waitz—also a nine-time winner of the New York City Marathon—scored her fifth victory in 1984 and Loroupe got her fifth Mini win in 2000. Scaroni, who is still actively competing, won her fifth wheelchair division title in 2023.
The Mini Grows and Grows
In 1998, the 100,000th Mini finisher crossed the line, and 20 years later, in 2018, the race saw its 200,000th finisher. This year’s Mastercard New York Mini 10K will have an estimated 10,000 finishers.
Youth at the Mini
In 2016, the first Girls Run at the NYRR New York Mini took place with hundreds of finishers on an age-appropriate course. This year youth of all genders will take part in the Kids Run at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K.
Record-Setting Wheelchair Races
In 2018, Susannah Scaroni (above, center) won the first wheelchair division at the Mini, setting a world-best of 22:48 for the distance; she broke that record in 2019.
The history of the Mini points to a bright future for women and girls in running.
1972 photo courtesy of Kathrine Switzer/Carl Byoir and Associates.