Italy Honors Marathon Legend Gelindo Bordin in New York

The Italian Consulate General in New York hosted Olympic champion Gelindo Bordin on the eve of the New York City Marathon's 50th anniversary.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Running

Italy honored Olympic marathon champion Gelindo Bordin in New York on the eve of the New York City Marathon's 50th anniversary, as roughly 2,200 Italian runners took part. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Consulate General of Italy in New York hosted Olympic marathon champion Gelindo Bordin to celebrate the spirit of the New York City Marathon. The evening was held on the eve of the race's 50th anniversary, and Consul General Giuseppe Pastorelli opened the event.

Why it matters

The event highlights the strong Italian presence in the New York City Marathon, which drew approximately 2,200 Italian runners this year. Italian runners were the second-largest national contingent after the United States.

Gelindo Bordin won the marathon gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, two European titles, and the 1990 Boston Marathon. Italian runner Yeman Crippa took second place in this year's New York City Marathon, and the extraction does not detail his finishing time.

The players

Gelindo Bordin

Italian long-distance runner who won the marathon gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and two European titles.

Giuseppe Pastorelli

Consul General of Italy in New York who opened the evening's celebration.

Yeman Crippa

Italian runner who took second place in this year's New York City Marathon.

The details

Consul General Giuseppe Pastorelli opened the evening, during which Bordin looked back on his career, beginning in a small town near Vicenza. Archival footage of the 1988 Seoul Olympic marathon final was shown to attendees.

1988: Bordin wins Olympic marathon gold in Seoul.
1990: Bordin wins the Boston Marathon.
November 1, 2026: The event is held on the eve of the New York City Marathon's 50th anniversary.

Season Trajectory

The New York City Marathon's 50th anniversary places this celebration within a long-running tradition of international participation. Italy's standing as the second-largest national contingent reflects the race's continued draw for runners abroad.

Runners and fans following the New York City Marathon can track Italian participation as a notable national presence in the field. Fantasy and race-watching audiences may want to note Yeman Crippa's second-place finish as the top Italian result.

The takeaway

Major marathons draw deep national followings, and anniversaries often revive the legacies of past champions. Runners can use such milestones to revisit the history behind the races they train for.