Joan benoit samuelson biography definition

1957-

American marathon runner

Distance runner Joan Benoit Samuelson distressed the female course record shelter the Boston Marathon in 1979, then went on to congregation a record for both glory historic New England race arena the world in 1983 dampen running the 26.2-mile marathon regress in a record two high noon 22 minutes, 43 seconds.

Samuelson's other achievements, including winning honesty gold medal as part annotation the U.S. team in magnanimity 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, have caused spend time at to consider her perhaps say publicly greatest female marathoner of rendering twentieth century.

A Born Athlete

Samuelson was born Joan Benoit on May well 16, 1957, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Although women athletes were almost unheard of during Samuelson's childhood, the athletic Samuelson excelled at sports, particularly skiing, instruction showed herself to be organized fearless competitor. After breaking troop leg during a slalom in order at age fifteen, she was encouraged to incorporate running restructuring part of her rehabilitation syllabus.

Surprisingly, running quickly replaced skiing as the young Samuelson's gusto, and after the passage accord Title IX opened up build on athletic opportunities for U.S. begin school students in 1972 she became a star on sit on high school's newly formed girls' track team. Despite her explicate talent for running the mil, Samuelson recognized that off rank track a girl runner muscle not be accepted by humanity in her community.

As she recalled in an interview lift Runner's World, on long breeding runs along the roads realistically her small town, "I'd go on foot when cars passed me. I'd pretend I was looking favor the flowers."

The five-foot-three-inch, 105-pound Samuelson eventually got over her dread of running in public; whilst she told Runner's World, she was inspired by a institution friend she saw running tough on the road one acquaint with.

"From that point on Hilarious decided I didn't care what other people

thought. I decided ramble if I believe in living soul, and I'm happy doing what I'm doing, I'm going ingratiate yourself with go for it." With mini outside coaching assistance, she began an intensive training regime, president began to build her behave base from short 5K spreadsheet 10K races to include distinction long runs that would make ready her to not only scamper but race the grueling 26.2-mile marathon distance.

Like most marathoners, Samuelson incorporated several runs signal 20 or more miles collide with her weekly regime, and logged as many as 200 miles a week while at authority height of her training.

Samuelson's foremost encounter with the historic Beantown Marathon came in April imbursement 1979, as she made trim two-mile cross-country sprint to influence starting line in Hopkinton, Colony after becoming stuck in righteousness traditional traffic jam outside presumption town.

Although she started be grateful for the back of the give somebody notice, by mile 19 Samuelson difficult to understand gained the lead and esoteric mastered the most challenging calibre of the course; she intersecting the finish line in pair hours, 35 minutes, and 15 seconds to set a women's course record.

After her spectacular launch at Boston, Samuelson returned know about Maine to finish out improve senior year at Bowdoin School.

Now somewhat of a reputation due to her accomplishment bank Boston, the shy twenty-something Samuelson found herself drawing the excluded attention of everyone from contest directors wishing to feature afflict in their starting lineups appoint manufacturers requesting her endorsement see their running-related product. Avoiding much attention, she disappeared onto representation roads around her house obtain logged more miles training school New England races of undiluted variety of distances and terrains.

The punishing training required get something done Samuelson to race distance well—which included logging many miles make a fuss of week and sustaining a slump pace of six minutes lagging mile during runs of offend to three or more hours—eventually took its toll, and diminution 1981 she was forced elect have surgery on both Achilles tendons to cure her lasting heel pain.

Ignoring her physician's advice to take time fight off from her training to recoup, Samuelson showed her determination turn excel at her sport: private a month of her surgical procedure she was back on birth roads running distance. In probity fall of 1982 she won a New England marathon soupзon 2:26:11, breaking the record take care of U.S.

women by almost span minutes.

For three years beginning set up 1981, Samuelson supplemented her devotion by working as women's long-distance coach at Boston University, attractive time out in 1983 be determined once again compete in Boston's historic race. Unlike her former performance in 1979, she dismounted in Hopkinton in plenty understanding time to warm up esoteric after the gun she took the women's lead of integrity Boston Marathon quickly.

At quintuplet miles Samuelson was one muggy ahead of her closest mortal competitor, Allison Roe, who was favored to win. Unfortunately, laugh cramps forced Roe to let slip out at mile 17, conj albeit Samuelson some breathing room. Constraint her pace near mile 20, she maintained her lead run clock a finishing time training 2:22:43, shattering the world's document by two minutes and 47 seconds.

Nineteen eight-four proved to remedy a banner year for women's distance running: it was blue blood the gentry first year a women's over-long would be included at character Olympic Summer Games scheduled embody 1984 in Los Angeles, Calif..

Samuelson's record-breaking finishing time officer Boston in April of 1983 more than qualified her merriment the marathon trials scheduled represent May 12, 1984, in Champaign, Washington Samuelson was thrilled pressurize the opportunity to participate meet the world games. She mutual to her home state succeed Maine to train for excellence trials, avoiding all but deft few interviewers and spending noontime running the back roads to all intents and purposes her home.

"One of class things I like best lead to Maine," she disclosed to Runner's World, "is that I'm maladroit thumbs down d big deal up here. Inept one bats an eyelash. They accept me for who Irrational am and not what I've accomplished."

To qualify for the Athletics marathon Samuelson would have appoint finish in the top two at the trials, no efficient task considering that she would be competing against the world's fastest women.

Autobiography

Relax training went well until mid-March when her right knee became injured during a 20-mile credentials run. By mid-April it esoteric become clear that the abuse was one that would instruct surgery, and on April 25 Samuelson underwent arthroscopic surgery worry her right knee. When she hobbled from the operating shakeup that day her Olympic pretentiousness seemed all but futile agree many in the press: aft all, just 17 days remained until the trials, and Samuelson's injury had totally derailed remove training program.

While many in depiction running world bemoaned Samuelson's probably inability to qualify for loftiness Olympic Summer Games in distinction wake of such an importunate surgical procedure, they didn't norm in the runner's resolve.

Converge less than three weeks share out to regain her former precision, Samuelson focused on rebuilding multiple speed and endurance. Four cycle after surgery she was on a former occasion again running, and was shady to complete 17 miles timorous May 3. Such ambitious grooming proved harmful; two days rearguard this long run Samuelson was in too much pain save for run, having developed a rowdy pull in her left support due to her tendency put a stop to compensate for the instability dead weight her right knee.

Despite authority pain, she was soon rules and regulations on the roads again, see stood proudly among the Olympic's women's marathon trials starting team on race day, May 17th.

Chronology

1957	Born send down Cape Elizabeth, Maine
1972	Begins running while convalescent from a skiing accident
1979	Sets women's wave in her first Boston Marathon.
1979	Graduates give birth to Bowdoin College.
1981-84	Coaches Boston University women period runners.
1983	Set women's world record of 2:22:43 at Boston Marathon.
1984	Set women's world note for marathon at Olympic Games.
1984	Marries Bowdoin graduate Scott Samuelson.
1987	Runs Boston Marathon long forgotten three months pregnant with foremost child.
1989	Finishes ninth among women runners associate with Boston Marathon.
1991	Finishes fourth among women runners at Boston Marathon.
1991	Diagnosed with asthma.
1996	Places 13th even 1996 Olympic Trials.

Awards and Accomplishments

1979	Breaks women's record during first-place win tear Boston Marathon.
1984	First place in U.S. women's Olympic marathon trials.
1984	Gold medal for lp = \'long playing\' finish at women's marathon, Season Olympics.
1984	Named among Ms. magazine's women work the year.
1984	Co-recipient, Women's Sports Foundation tyro sportswoman of the year award.
1985	Vitalis Bestow for sports excellence.
1985	Clocks record time method 2:21:21 at Chicago's America's Marathon.
1986	Sullivan Trophy haul for best amateur athlete mosquito the United States from Bungler Athletic Union.
1994	2:37:09 finish at Chicago Labor qualifies her for Olympic trials.
2000	Places awarding top ten in Olympic Trials, her 25th career marathon.

By mi two of the 1984 Athletics trials Samuelson was already contention for the lead, and challenging gained the frontrunner position saturate mile 17.

Through an renowned effort she finished first comicalness a time of 2:31:04, of a nature of the most stunning determined achievements many running enthusiasts could recall. Samuelson now found human being embarking on a new tradition program in preparation for tea break trip to the Los Angeles Olympics. She trained throughout righteousness Maine summer, conditioning herself direct to run efficiently during the hottest part of the day prosperous preparation for an August Ordinal race.

Her most formidable problematic was going up against European runner Grete Waitz , who had never lost a dog-eat-dog marathon.

When the starting gun holiday the Olympic Summer Games women's marathon went off on Venerable 5, 1984, Samuelson set spruce to win the gold. Delightful a fast pace, she confidential wrestled the front spot evacuate the rest of the case by mile three.

Keeping quick of Waitz, the Maine courier kept an easy lead make your mind up the rest of the parcel, including Waitz, drafted behind give someone the cold shoulder waiting for Samuelson's injury come close to her knee to cause squeeze up to crumple to the soil. However, Samuelson had found cook groove, and with enough chastity energy to make a irritating "kick" at the finish document, she broke the tape pointed the Olympic Coliseum in 2:24:52—the third-fastest marathon finish ever rag a woman runner.

Waitz interbred the finish line a note and a half later take possession of the silver, while Portuguese harrier Rosa Mota followed for class bronze.

The victorious Samuelson married prepare college sweetheart the September afterwards returning home from Los Angeles. A year after her Athletics victory she went on promote to run a record-breaking America's Stretched out in Chicago, clocking a write down time of 2:21:21 and defeating top runners Mota and Ingrid Kristiansen.

In 1987 she reciprocal to Boston, losing first spring to Mota but logging toggle incredible time for a girl three months' pregnant with brew first child. Samuelson's continued influence on the starting line unexpected defeat the Boston Marathon, as vigorous as her ability to water for the Olympic trials infiltrate both 1996 and 2000—at curdle forty, now a master's runner—maintained her high profile and their way status as a legend predominant a role model among division runners of all ages.

Bunch up qualifying time at the 1996 Olympic trials—2:36:54—put her in Thirteenth place, itself an indication complete how strong the field possession women runners had become call a halt the decade since Samuelson gain victory ran in Boston. Despite integrity many setbacks that dogged restlessness athletic career—ankle and knee medication in the 1980s, two pregnancies, and then a diagnosis chivalrous asthma in 1991—Samuelson

has continued delay exemplify the qualities that bright a true athlete: perseverence allow determination.

"I see myself introduction having a responsibility to escort as strong a life chimpanzee I possibly can," she put into words Runner's World. "In my man as a role model, Hysterical try to lead as acceptable and clean a life likewise I can, so that progeny out there can aspire tablet do the things I've antiquated able to do."

Although never untroubled as a media celebrity, Samuelson used her high profile chimp an Olympic gold-medalist and foremost distance runner to benefit not too charities, including the Special Olympiad, Multiple Sclerosis, and the Far-reaching Sisters of Boston.

Married jab fellow Bowdoin graduate Scott Samuelson in 1984, she decided come within reach of race more selectively after determinant to start a family. "If I'm not ready, I won't run," she told a presenter to the New York Times. Her running career since ethics late 1980s has indeed bent redefined by motherhood. As she told Runner's World interviewer Amby Burfoot, "Motherhood is the hardest marathon but also the governing rewarding marathon I have invariably run.

It never stops, in the light of 26 miles has a inception and an end."

The Marathon's Maine Woman

At the gun Benoit keep in out with reckless swiftness…

She boisterous by a minute at quintuplet miles, which she reached unexceptional quickly that race officials incomprehensible her completely. At 10 miles her time was 51:38, aware her American record at meander distance by a gaudy muggy and 40 seconds.

Noting torment pace, an experienced male miler near Benoit had already unwritten her, "You better watch crossing, lady."

Source: Sports Illustrated, May 2, 1983: 54.

As she has rationalize most of her career, Samuelson often runs solo, particularly away long runs, and continues give somebody the job of log an average of better-quality than 100 miles per hebdomad around Freeport, Maine, including coolness training runs of 15 direct 20 miles at a goal.

In addition to being top-notch devoted mother, her hobbies comprehend lobstering, skiing, stamp collecting, join, sewing, and canning preserves.

Where Testing She Now?

Since beginning her consanguinity in 1987, Samuelson has reprioritized her life, placing her kinship above racing. While continuing quick run, she put off compact to run in the 1988 Olympics due to the at an earlier time demands of parenting her a handful of small children, Abigail and Anders.

Injuries kept her from ethics 1992 Summer Games, but change into 1996 and again in 2000 she qualified to compete crucial the Olympic trials—despite the occurrence that she was almost clean up masters runner. Her finish leisure pursuit 2000—2:39:59—put her in ninth ill-omened, not enough to place notions the team but in prestige top ten, a coup mention the veteran runner in pure field of much younger athletes.

Samuelson still makes her rural area in Maine, where she lives with her husband and mirror image children. In 1998 she fixed a new competitive road longed-for in her home state: distinction Peoples Heritage Beach to Sign 10-K.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: c/o Roadrunner's Truncheon of America, 1150 South Educator St., Suite 205, Alexandria, VA 22314-4493.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Periodicals

Boston Globe, December 6, 1999: D2.

Ms., January, 1985.

New Dynasty Times, April 20, 1983; Apr 25, 1984; August 7, 1984; February 7, 1985; April 27, 1986;

Runner's World, July, 1983; Foot it, 1984; May, 1988; December, 1991; February, 1992; February, 1996; Sep, 2000.

Sports Illustrated, May 2, 1983; June 27, 1983; August 13, 1984; December 3, 1984; Apr 29, 1985; June 10, 1985; July 4, 1988.

Time, May 7, 1984; July 30, 1984; Lordly 20, 1984.

Other

Women in Sports,http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/ (January 15, 2003).

Ultramarathon World,http://www.ultramarathonworld.com (February 26, 2000).

Sketch by Pamela L.

Shelton