There have been a few articles about Alberto Arroyo, who is the unofficial Mayor of Central Park, but today's NY Times feature about him has an awesome slideshow with his narration. At 89, he's been been a staple around the Central Park Reservoir for years (he claims to be the first to run around the reservoir), either running or, more recently, using a walker. Arroyo used to run during his lunch hour while working at Bethlehem Steel in Battery Park, which was unheard of back then, and ran in the first NYC marathon. We've seen Arroyo in the park and must say that seeing his friendly wave is great encouragement as we huff and puff our way around.
In 2002, the Village Voice called him the best incentive to run. The Toronto Star wrote about him in 2003. Les Grands Fondus wrote about him in 1998, and the Lonely Pamphleteer saw him enjoying the Park in February, amidst the Gates.
Photograph from the NY Times
