Joan Benoit smashes Boston Marathon Record
On April 18, 1983 – 1983: Today’s Boston Marathon becomes Joan Benoit’s personal showcase. The 5-foot-3, 105-pound sprite literally runs away from the field at the start and never looks back, smashing the women’s world marathon record.
Starting out with sub-5:10 miles, the 25-year-old Benoit finishes in two hours, 22 minutes and 42 seconds, two minutes and 47 seconds better than the record set by Allison Roe in 1981 in New York and tied by Grete Waitz yesterday in London. Her closest competitor isn’t even in the same zip code when Benoit finishes, winning by six minutes and 45 seconds.
Since World War II, 10 men have won the race in slower times than Benoit runs. This is Benoit’s second Boston Marathon victory, and her time is almost 13 minutes faster than when she won four years ago.
“She’s just a little thing, but look inside her and it’s scary what you see,” says her coach, Bob Sevene. “I keep calling her an animal. Her mother hates me for it, but I can’t think of any better way to describe her.”
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