Former world-ranked tennis star and RI native runs for prestigious marathon award
Harry Cicma’s path that landed him in London this weekend is unique.
The former ATP Tour world-ranked tennis star from Classical High School hasn't arrived in England for a match on the clay or for a television spot on the sport he grew up learning in Providence.
He’s in London chasing the Abbott Six Star Medal.
The prestigious mark of marathon junkies, the Six Star Medal is awarded to those who have medaled at each of the major world-wide marathons — Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York, Tokyo and London.
The 42-year-old completed Boston last year and already mastered Berlin and New York. After Sunday in England’s capital city, Cicma will earn his fourth star in the 44th running of the London Marathon.
The hope for the prestigious tennis player-turned-runner and media broadcast host is to race Chicago in October and finish the around-the-world challenge with Tokyo in March of 2025. Equally impressive on his running journey, after Sunday, it’ll be Cicma’s sixth marathon in 17 months. He’s also aiming to race Athens, Greece in November.
“I've been there for Wimbledon, but to be running in the London Marathon in such a legendary race is a huge honor and I'm ready for game time,” Cicma said.
Cicma was a three-time Providence Journal All-State tennis star (1998-00) at Classical and joined the world tour after graduating from Rutgers University with a journalism degree. Cicma, who is an Emmy Award winning sports anchor, is currently with CBS News TV in Miami. He owns his own media production company and had a stint with NBC 10 in Providence.
The transition from tennis to running was simple for the world-class athlete. Cicma went from walking a few miles with his dad in the Ocean State to longer runs and quickly built the capacity for 26.2-mile treks. Running is easier on the body than tennis for Cicma as he expects to compete in marathons for years. He’s run the last few races for Project Purple, which raises money for pancreatic cancer and the Ronald McDonald House to help children in need.
His Boston Marathon finish rivals any sporting memory.
“The final mile of the Boston Marathon and to be on Boylston Street, I was crying with emotions and remembering being a little kid growing up in Providence and Boston,” Cicma said. “That's the best moment of my life.
“The two best experiences I've had in sports are playing in Newport at the ATP event because I literally grew up there and running the Boston Marathon.”
Related: RI native Harry Cicma running NYC Marathon to raise money for cancer research
The Classical alum’s future tennis career was evident early to longtime Purple athletic director, Robert Palazzo who coached Cicma during his tenure with the Providence school.
“I've been doing this for 35 years and we've had maybe a dozen kids like that in my career,” Palazzo said. “They’ve just changed the whole outlook on the athletic department for four years. He’s that kind of an impactful guy.”
And it was no surprise to Palazzo that Cicma picked up running.
“He brings that energy when I watch him on ESPN,” Palazzo said. “He’s just an amazing individual. And I'm just very happy that I got to know him and was part of it.”
Related: Narragansett family running in the Boston Marathon, raising thousands for diabetes research
Cicma said that the physical grind of a marathon is harder than tennis, but that the mental toughness needed in a professional tennis match outweighs running.
“Rhode Island gave me the confidence to [be a professional athlete] because you're coming from a smaller state,” said Cicma, who was inducted into the Greek Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. “When you're playing tennis at Classical or you're playing in the Newport ATP tournament, people are watching.”
“I'm so proud to represent Rhode Island,” Cicma said. “If it wasn't for Rhode Island, I wouldn't be here.”
jrousseau@providencejournal.com
On X: @ByJacobRousseau
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Classical's Harry Cicma is running for the prestigious Six Star Medal
