Credit: Lasell College Athletics
Above is a picture of Joan Benoit winner of the first women’s Olympic marathon. At the 1984 summer games in Los Angeles, California, the women’s marathon became an official Olympic event. Joan Benoit of the United Sates won the first gold medal in the event with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes. The establishment of a women’s Olympic marathon was a struggle. Before the 1980’s, there were no women’s distance races in the Olympics. The longest races were the women’s 1,500 meters (about a mile), which was established in 1972. Long distance running was considered “too strenuous” for women. However, with women running other famous marathons like the Boston Marathon women made a strong case to the International Olympic Committee to get the race added.