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NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The TCS New York City Marathon will mark its 50th anniversary next year, and while so much has changed, real laurel wreaths for the winners has stayed the same.
It's a tradition as long as the marathon itself and the laurel wreath worn by marathon winners has been crafted by Jane Muhrcke for the past 49 years.
Although she has avoided the spotlight, her grandson, Colin Kern, a journalism grad student at CUNY, was able to pitch her story to the New York Times, earning himself his first--ever byline.
"She wasn't so enthusiast to talk about it, but I spent like a few days over there just chatting it up with her,” he said. "She asked why there wasn't anything else new to talk about. She thought it was old news and really surprised that anyone wanted to hear this at all."
Murchre’s first wreath, crafted from laurels in her Long Island backyard, was bestowed upon her husband Gary’s head, the winner of the first New York City marathon in 1971.
It’s a unique job that only she does, and she does it for free.
"This doesn't fall under anyone's job description for the marathon. It's just this free-willing thing that happens every year,” said Kern. “She waves them at the cops to try to get through the line for the finish...I talked to a lot of the head honchos at the New York Road Runners Club and they were like, 'Yea, we don't even know how it happens, but it happens and we expect it to happen.' Which is a really cool thing that she is just this little old lady that makes it happen."