Joan Benoit Wins the First Olympic Women's Marathon
Joan Benoit Samuelson made history on August 5, 1984, by winning the first-ever Olympic women's marathon during the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. This significant event marked a milestone in Olympic history, as it was the first time women were allowed to compete in the marathon, challenging long-standing myths about women's physical capabilities. Born on May 16, 1957, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Benoit overcame a skiing injury in her youth by embracing long-distance running, ultimately becoming a pioneer in the sport.
She previously achieved remarkable success, including winning the Boston Marathon twice, setting a U.S. women's record in 1983. Against the odds, Benoit qualified for the Olympics just weeks after knee surgery, and she secured the gold medal with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 52 seconds. Her victory not only showcased women's endurance and strength but also paved the way for future female athletes in long-distance events. Benoit has since contributed to the sport through writing and community initiatives, including the establishment of the People's Beach to Beacon Road Race. Her accomplishments have earned her numerous accolades and honors in the realm of athletics.
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Joan Benoit Wins the First Olympic Women's Marathon
Joan Benoit Wins the First Olympic Women's Marathon
Joan Benoit Samuelson won the women's marathon event at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, on August 5, 1984. This was the first marathon ever held for women in the history of the Olympic games.
Women were first permitted to compete in the games in 1900, in the golf and tennis events, although Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, opposed female participation. Women's Olympic sports have grown tremendously since then, and women now comprise about half the members of participating national teams, with the exception of those teams from Islamic countries.
The marathon was one of the Olympic sports included when the modern games began in 1896. The event is based on the famous run of the messenger Pheidippides, who, according to legend, ran from a battle at Marathon, Greece, to the city of Athens, where he announced the Greek victory over the Persians just before he died. The distance between the two cities is approximately 25 miles, and in 1908 the distance of a marathon race was officially set at 26 miles and 385 yards.
Benoit, born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on May 16, 1957, was involved in sports activities from her early youth. After breaking her leg in a skiing accident during her junior year of high school, Benoit used long distance running as a method of rehabilitation. She was the only female in her high school to run cross-country, and during those years she clocked a mile time of five minutes and 15 seconds. In 1979 she entered the Boston Marathon for the first time and won it with a time of two hours, 35 minutes, and 15 seconds, a new United States women's record, which she herself would break in 1983 with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 43 seconds.
In May 1984 Benoit participated in the Olympic trial marathon, despite having undergone knee surgery 17 days before, and qualified for the Summer Olympics held that year in Los Angeles. In the first Olympic women's marathon, Benoit won the gold medal with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 52 seconds. Her win helped refute the myth that women were too fragile to run a marathon in a competitive time.
Benoit has written two books: Running Tide (with Sally Baker, 1987) and Joan Samuelson's Running for Women (with Gloria Averbuch, 1995). She was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in July of 1998 and the Scholar Athlete Hall of Fame in the following year. Benoit also established the People's Beach to Beacon Road Race in 1998, which benefits children's charities in Maine, and was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in March 2000. She has received many other awards as well, and as of the writing of this book lives in Maine with her husband Scott Samuelson and their two children.