Alberto Arroyo
{{Short description|American runner}}
File:At New York City 2024 326.jpg
Alberto Arroyo, (February 15, 1916-March 25, 2010) was a well-known New York City runner who was honored with a State Senate resolution in 1985 for his fifty years of running and recognized as one of the founders of the modern fitness movement.{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Douglas |title=Alberto Arroyo, Jogger Familiar in Central Park, Dies at 94 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/nyregion/27arroyo.html |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=27 March 2010}}{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Chris |title=Long May You Run: all. things. running. |date=19 October 2010 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4391-9424-9 |page=121 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4eC5EXyHRIQC&dq=%22Alberto+Arroyo%22+%22Central+Park%22&pg=PA121 |access-date=20 April 2021 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Levine |first1=Edward J. |title=Central Park |date=23 October 2006 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4396-1812-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1--PdfJuJjIC&dq=%22Alberto+Arroyo%22+%22Central+Park%22&pg=PT87 |access-date=20 April 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Rebecca |title=In the Park, Honoring a Legend of Jogging |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/nyregion/29park.html |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=29 March 2010}}
Arroyo was an amateur boxer who moved to New York City from Puerto Rico in 1935 who became known as the "Mayor of Central Park." Subsequent to his retirement from Bethlehem Steel, he was known for the many hours he spent in Central Park.{{cite news |last1=SIMUNOVICH |first1=PETER |title=The Mayor of Central Park |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/latino/mayor-central-park-article-1.291958 |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=nydailynews.com |date=3 June 2008}}{{cite news |last1=Gross |first1=Jane |title=Runner, 69, Lives Life in the Park |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/04/nyregion/runner-69-lives-life-in-the-park.html |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=4 November 1985}}
The jogging track around the Central Park Reservoir was named in his honor in part due to his claim to be the first person to run around it.{{cite news |title=Central Park Reservoir to be Named After Mayor of Central Park Alberto Arroyo |url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20100412/central-park/central-park-reservoir-be-named-after-mayor-of-central-park-alberto-arroyo/ |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=DNAinfo New York |date=12 April 2010 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420160020/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20100412/central-park/central-park-reservoir-be-named-after-mayor-of-central-park-alberto-arroyo/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last1=Adler |first1=Margot |title=Track Dedicated To Mayor Of Central Park |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125914057 |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=NPR.org |date=13 April 2010 |language=en}} Achilles International has an award named in his honor for his efforts to restore the track in 1993.{{cite web |title=Annual Awards |url=https://www.achillesinternational.org/annual-awards |website=Achilles International |access-date=20 April 2021}}