Runner's World Article
EAST ISLIP, N.Y. – Former Manhattan College track & field star and Athletic Hall of Fame member Pat Petersen has passed away following a brief battle with cancer. Still the school record-holder in two events (indoor 5000 meters, outdoor 10,000 meters), Petersen was inducted into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.
Petersen posted a school-record time of 14:05.25 while winning the 5000 meters at the 1981 IC4A Indoor Championships, and he set the 10,000-meter school record with a 28:38.20 clocking at the 1982 Penn Relays. He also won the inaugural Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) cross country title in 1981 and twice qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
After graduating in 1982, Petersen enjoyed a successful career as a marathoner. He finished among the top four in the New York City Marathon three times from 1984-1987, including a third-place showing in 1985. Petersen also had three top 10 finishes at the London Marathon. His time of 2:10:04 at the 1989 London Marathon ranks 17th on the all-time U.S. list.
“Pat was a true gentleman and a Jasper through and through,” Assistant Coach Joe Ryan, Petersen's teammate at Manhattan, said. “This is a tragic and shocking loss, and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”
Along with his wife, Bea, Petersen founded the EJ Autism Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports programs and schools that work with autistic children on Long Island.
A wake will be held at the Frederick J. Chapey & Sons Funeral Home in East Islip, N.Y., from 2-4:30 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The funeral mass will take place at St. Mary's R.C. Church in East Islip at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday.
