Waitz, who took the gold medal in the marathon at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki in 1983 and the Olympic silver medal at Los Angeles in 1984, had been battling against breast cancer for six years.

She passed away at Oslo's Ullevaal Hospital at 4:10am today with her husband, Jack, at her side, said Helle Aanesen, who co-founded Active Against Cancer with Waitz in 2007.

Waitz was perhaps best known for her streak of four world bests in the Marathon from 1978 to 1983, her five victories at the World Cross Country Championships, and for her record nine victories at the New York City Marathon.

But she also won the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986.

Waitz's her fantastic career was nearly cut short, though, before it really started.

Having set a world record for 3,000 metres in 1975, she travelled New York in 1978 to run the marathon to celebrate her retirement and prepare to have children and a teaching career.

She broke the world record by more than two minutes in that race and set about redefining the sport.

"But, instead, I quit my job teaching and never had kids," Waitz revealed in an interview three years ago.

"I always got excited when I came to New York for the marathon."

In all, Waitz lowered the women's world record by an astonishing nine minutes, taking the standard from Christa Vahlensieck's 2 hours 34min 47sec down to first 2:32:30 in 1978, 2:27:33 in 1979, 2:25:41 in 1980·and finally to the 2:25:29 that Waitz ran at London in 1983.

"She was definitely one of the most important sportswomen in history," Norwegian Athletics Federation President Svein Arne Hansen said.

"It was not considered important for women to run before Grete did it."


Lamine Diack, the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), also paid tribute.

"One of the brightest flames of the modern athletics era has been extinguished but the heroic deeds of Grete Waitz will live on eternally," he said. 

"The dedication, perseverance and fortitude with which Grete carved out her athletics career on the track, across the country and on the road is an example to us all, as is the positive way she tackled the illness that beset her life in recent years.

"On behalf of the international athletics family I wish to express our heartfelt sorrow at the passing of such a great champion, and offer our sincerest sympathies and condolences to her family and friends."

Waitz was appointed a Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2008 by King Harald V.

She also stands as a statue in front of Oslo's Bislett Stadium and was pictured on Norwegian stamps in 1997.

In 1984, she started the annual Grete Waitz run for women in Oslo.

"Grete was a fantastic athlete and someone who paved the way for female runners," said Aanesen.

"She had a will, a talent and led a life that was simply extraordinary.

"She'll go down in the history books as one of the greats."

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