Track and Field Athlete. She set multiple records during her career, and achieved nine victories in the New York City Marathon. A noted runner from childhood, she captured a number of junior championships in her native land and competed in the 1500 metre event at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, though she did not reach the finals. She won a Bronze Medal in the 1500 at the 1974 European Games and in 1975 set a world record of 8:45.4 in the 3000 metres. While working as an Oslo, Norway schoolteacher she was invited to participate in the 1978 New York City Marathon, her first attempt at the 26.2 mile distance; originally intended to be the "rabbit", or pacer for the elite runners, she instead won the event with a then world record time of 2:32:30. She went on to set three more world records, the last in 1983, and notch nine New York City wins. Denied a chance to participate in the 1980 Summer Games Olympiad in Moscow, Soviet Union by Norway's honoring of the American boycott, she took a Silver Medal in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California as well as a Gold in the 1983 World Championships at Helsinki. Grete Waitz won the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986, recording her personal best time of 2:24:54 on the latter occasion. She also captured five World Cross Country titles and was a four time victor in Atlanta, Georgia's 10K Peachtree Road Race; after winning her last marathon in 1988 and running her final competitive one in 1992 she did some coaching while serving as an unofficial ambassador for her sport. Honored on several occasions within Norway, she was designated Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2008. She died after a six year battle with cancer.