1896-1928: The Beginning - Women on their Own
1896
Athens, Greece: Melpomene, a young Greek woman, is denied entry into the modern Olympic Marathon. She runs the official course a few days earlier in a time of 4:41.
1904
Women in Germany compete in track and field meets.
1913
Finnish school girls run 1000 meters (3:26.5) and 1500 meters (5:44) in competition.
1917
Madame Alice Milliat creates The Federation Feminine Sportive de France. It is the first sports governing body for women.
1920
The first International Track and Field competition for women is held between Austria and Germany.
1920
After the first large scale international track and field competition held in Monte Carlo in October of 1921, the Federation Sportive Feminine International (FSFI) is formed. It is to be the Interational governing body for women in track and field around the world.
1922
First FSFI Women's Olympics held August 20th at Pershing Stadium in Paris. women have been denied entry into the Modern Olympic Games. The 1000 meters is run and won by mademoiselle Breard in a world record time of 3 minutes, 12 seconds.
1926
The second Women's Olympic Games are held in Gothenburg, Sweden. Because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has complained, the name is changed to Women's World Games.
1926
The FSFI meets with the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) and agrees that a proposal concerning women's track and field events in the 1928 Olympics be submitted to the 8th Congress of the IAAF. The proposed events are 100m, 800m, 4x110 meters relay, the high jump and the discuss.
1928
January 8, 1928, a special committe of the IOC meets in Amsterdam and decides on an experimental program of women's track and field events to be included in the 1928 Olympic Games.
1928-1960: Survival, but no Progress
1928
Ninth Olympiad, Amsterdam: Five track and field events are contested. Because of the exhausted condition of some of the women at the end of the 800 meter final, it is dropped from the Olympic program until 1960.
1936
Pikes Peak, Colorado: Two womn enter the 13 mile footrace up Pike's Peak
1937
Road Runner's Club of America (RRCA) is formed. It is instrumental in giving women the opportunity to compete in distance running events.
1959
Pikes Peak, Colorado. Arlene Pieper runs the grueling 26 mile up-and-down Pike's Peak in 9:16.
1960
Rome Olympics: The 800 meters i reintroduced into Olympic Track and Field program for women. It has absent for 32 years.
1961-1972: Years of Protest - Feminism and Running
1961
Manchester, Connecticut: Julia Chase, 19 years old, runs the Manchester 5-mile unofficially.
1963
Culver City, California: merry Lepper and Lyn Carman run the Western Hemisphere marathon. Lepper finisheds in an unofficial time of 3:37:07.
1966
Boston, Massachusetts: Roberta Gibb hides in the bushes and jumps into the BAA Marathon after being denied entry. Her time is 3:21:40. Gibb is the unofficial women's winner in 1966, 1967, and 1968.
1967
Boston, massachusetts: April 20. Katherine Switzer runs BAA Marathon with a number under the name of K. Switzer. Famous UPI photo of Switzer and race official Jack Semple hits major sports pages. Switzer finishes in 4:20. She is suspended from the A.A.U. Roberta Gibb "wins" the race in a time of 3:27:17.
1967
Toronto, Canada. Maureen Wilton, 13 years old, runs a World Best for the marathon of 3:15:22.8 (5/6/67).
1967
Waldniel, W. Germany: Anni Pede of W. Germany runs World Best of 3:07:26 (9/16/67) in all women's Waldniel Marathon. She is protege of Dr. Ernst van Aaken.
1968
The U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Women's Committe increases legal distance for women to 5 miles.
1970
Seaside, Oregon: 16 year old Caraoline Walker runs Trails End Marathon in a World Best of 3:02:53 (2/28/70).
1970
RRCA holds first championship marathon for women on September 27, 1970. It is won by pioneer women runner and Bostonian Sara Mae Berman in a time of 3:07:10. Berman also unofficially wins the Boston Marathon (BAA) 1969, 1970, and 1971.
1970
Doris Brown (USA) wins her fourth International Cross Country Championships title.
1971
The AAU Women's Committe increases legal distance to 10 miles for women. "Selected" women are approved by AAU allowed to run in marathons.
1971
Women's World Best lowered in the marathon four times, twice by Beth Bonner.
1971
New York City marathon: (September 19) Beth Bonner is the first women to run the marathon in under 3 hours. Her time is 2:55:22. Nina Kuscsik finishes second in 2:56:04.
1971
Culver City, California. December 5: Cheryl Bridges finishes Western Hemisphere Marathon in a World Best of 2:49:40. Cheryl also holds World Best for 5000m on the track of 17:30.6.
1971
Kathy Gibbons runs World Best 10,000m on the track in a time of 34:51.0.
1972
Boston Marathon officially opens to women. Nina Kuscsik is the victor with a time of 3:10:21. Eight women finish the race.
1972
Central Park, New York City: Crazy legs mini marathon begins. 78 women run. Later, as the l'Eggs Mini Marathon, this event becomes the most prestigious all women's 10,000 in the world.
1972
1500 meters introduced in the Olympics for women. Winner is Lyudmila Bragina of the Soviet Union in a time of 4:01.8.
1972
New York City marathon. In an approval letter to Fred Lebow, Director the New York City Marathon, pat Rico, Chairman of the AAU Women's Track and Field Committee, says women running the New York Marathon "must be a separate event. The women cannot start with or at the same time against them". She suggests the start of a separate women's marathon be "ten or fifteen minutes earlier or after the men's start". Women competitors refuse by sitting down and forfeiting the 10 minutes. They start with the men. They're off! Nina Kuscsik wins with an additional 10 minutes added to her time.
1973-1977: Years of Development - Learning to Run... Fast!
1973
Miki Gorman runs a World Best of 2:46:36 in Culver City at the Western Hemisphere Marathon. She is to win the boston Marathon two times in 1974 and 1977.
1973
Waldniel, West Germany: First National Marathon Championships for women run on October 28. Winner is Christa Vahlensieck in 2:59:25.6.
1973
Boston, massachusetts: Boston Marathon won by Jacqueline Hansen in 3:05:59.
1974
Culver City. jacqueline Hansen runs a world Best of 2;43:54.5 at the Western Hemisphere Marathon.
1974
First AAU National marathon Championship held for women in San Mateo, California. Judy Ikenberry wins in 2:55:17. Forty-four of fifty-seven entrants finish.
1974
Waldniel, West Germany: First International Marathon Championships for women run on September 22. Winner is Liane Winter of West Germany in a time of 2:50:31.4.
1975
Liane Winter wins Boston Marathon in a World Best of 2:42:24.
1975
Christa Vahlensieck of West Germany sets World Best of 2:40:15.
1975
Central Park, New York City: Second AAU Women's Marathon Championships won by Kim Merritt in 2;46:14. The course consisted of one small loop and four large loops around Central Park.
1975
NIKE/OTC Marathon. Eugene, Oregon: Jacqueline Hansen lowers World Best to 2:38:19. She is the first women under 2:40.
1976
Eugene, Oregon. Many of America's finest women distance runners compete in the 1500m. This is the longest "distance" event for women in the Olympic Games.
1976
Waldniel, West Germany: Women's International marathon. Nearly 60 women run. Christa Vahlensieck of West Germany wins in 2:45:24.
1976
At a conference at the new York Academy of Sciences on marathoning in late October a resolution is passed unanimously by the 500 participants and attendees. "That is is considered judgment of the participants of the conference that a women's marathon event as well as other long distance races for women be included in the Olympic program forthwith". The proposal is written by Nina Kuscsik and Jim Fixx. It is sent to all member countries of the IAAF, committess of the IAAF, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the AAU.
1977
Boston Marathon: 42-year-old Miki Gorman wins Boston marathon for the second time in 2:48:33. There are 140 women in the field.
1977
Chantal Langlace of France lowers World Best to 2:35:15. Later that same year, Christa Vahlensieck runs a 2:34:48 (9/10/77). The American record is broken by Kim merritt at NIKE/OTC in a time of 2:37:57.
1978-1984: the Grete Waitz Era and the New Wave of Women Distance Runners Emerge - Lobbying begins for Distance Events in the Olympics
1978
Some 4,500 women enter L'Eggs Mini Marathon in New York's Central Park.
1978
Grete Waitz of Norway wins the New York City Marathon in a new World Best of 2:32:30. This is her first attempt at the marathon distance, and she is 104th overall in the race.
1979
The International Runner's Committee (IRC) is formed: "Parity for women distance runners" is its top priority.
1979
Joan Benoit runs her first two marathons: In January she runs the Bermuda Marathon in a time of 2:50:54. Four months later, she wins Boston in a new American Best of 2:35:15.
1979
Waldniel, West Germany, September 22: Joyce Smith of Great Britain, 41-years-old, wins the unofficial World Championships, sponsored by Avon, in a time of 2:36:27.
1979
Tokyo, Japan: The first IAAF sanctioned women's marathon is won by England's Joyce Smith in 2:37:48.
1980
March. The IAAF decides that any international event that includes a marathon must also include the race for women.
1980
It is proposed to the IOC that a women's marathon be included in the Olympic Games. In May, the Lost Angeles Olympic organizing commitee is still against adding any new events for women in the 1984 games, but Los Angeles City Supervisor, Kenneth Hahn and USOC Member, Bob Giegengack, support adding the women's marathon for 1984.
1980
Eugene, Oregon. An exhibition 5000m and 10,000m are held for women at the 1980 Olympic Track and Field Trials. Julia Shea wins the 5000m in 15:44:12, and Kris Bankes the 10,000m in 33:45.6.
1980
Moscow. The IAAF adds the women's 3,0000 meters to the Olympic Games. The 5,000m and 10,000m become official world record distances, and a women's marathon is scheduled for the first IAAF World Championships at helsinki in 1983.
1980
Grete Waitz again breaks the World Best at the New york City marathon in a time of 2:25:41. Patti Catalano runs second in an American Best of 2:29:33.
1981
IRC lobbying continues, and such pioneers as Jacqueline Hansen and Nina Kuscsik enlist growing public opinion to help put pressure on the IOC.
1981
February: the general membership of the IOC votes to reconsider the addition of the marathon for women in the 1984 Olympic Games. A nine member executive board makes it official. A women's marathon will be run in Los Angeles.
1981
New York City marathon. Alison Roe runs a world Best of 2:25:29. (10/25/81).
1982
In a final attempt to work through "proper channels", the IRC seeks support of the IOC Executive Baord at a meeting in Los angeles for a complete slate of women's distance events (including 5000m and 10000m) in the 1984 Games. This petition is flatly rejected.
1983
"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit in Los Angeles on August 11 on behalf of all women distance runners, seeking the inclusion of the 5000m and 10000 meter events in the 1984 Olympic Track and Field program for women." - IRC newsletter #24, August 1983.
1984
April 16: Women distance runners are denied the opportunity to run the 5000m and 10000m in the 1984 Games. The Judge says the ACLU lawsuit "has not yet proved the Olympic rules discriminate" against women. Appealed in Federal Court, this judgement is upheld by a 2 to 1 vote. (IRC newsletter #35, July 1984.)
1984
Quote by Jacqueline Hansen in response: "I will always be angered that the integrity of the process is more important than the athletes... this means the world will miss seeing a number of very talented women in teh '84 Olympics...they didn't ask Frank Shorter to wait another four years." IRC newsletter #31, April 1984.
1984
Joan Benoit Samuelson wins the Boston Marathon in a new World Best of 2:22:43.
1984
Olympia, Washington: Historic Women's Olympic Marathon Trails held. Winner is Joan Benoit Samuelson.
1984
August 5. Los Angeles, California. The first Women's Marathon is run in the modern Olympic Games and is won by American Joan Benois Samuelson in a time of 2:24:52.
1984
Auguest. The IOC approves the provisional inclusion of the 10,000 meters for the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea.