Grete Waitz (1 October 1953 – 19 April 2011) was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. Waitz won nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history. She won a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. She won a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki.