Influential NYC Coach Operated The Manhattan XC Invitational And Bishop Loughlin Games For Decades

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The track and field and cross community, especially in the New York City area, is mourning the loss of coach and mentor Ed Bowes, who passed away Friday at the age of 78. 

After graduating from Manhattan College in 1964, Bowes became an important fixture in the city's coaching community and poured his time and energy into Bishop Loughlin High and the city's Catholic High School Athletics Association. 

Bowes, then president of Manhattan's Spiked Shoe Club, resurrected the high school portion of the Manhattan Invitational in 1973 and watched it grow into the nation's largest one-day cross country meet. 

The finishing straight at Van Cortlandt Park is named Ed Bowes Way in his honor. 

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