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WOMEN'S MARATHON TRIALS

THE COMPLETE HISTORY

The Women's Trials hasn't been around all that long - the first was run in 1984 - but the race has packed a lot of drama into that short time.

 

PUBLISHED 04/14/2008
LAST UPDATED 04/14/2008

Courtesy of RunningUSA, Ryan Lamppa

The USA Olympic marathon team selection for women has always been determined at the Olympic Trials, a one-day final. The first U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials was held on May 12, 1984 and hosted by Olympia, Washington. Joan Benoit won that marathon 17 days after her arthroscopic knee surgery, and of course went on to win the first Olympic Marathon for women that summer in Los Angeles.

All six completed Marathon Trials have produced exciting races and poignant stories from Joan Benoit's amazing victory in Olympia to the triumphant return of Margaret Groos in Pittsburgh to Janis Klecker's recovery from a fall in Houston to the shockers in Columbia with Jenny Spangler (1996) and Chris Clark (2000) to Colleen De Reuck's upset of Deena Kastor in 2004. Kastor bounced back from that surprising loss to claim the bronze medal in Athens, and will be returning to the Boston Trials on April 20 to see if she can make another Olympic marathon team.

A noteworthy footnote to the USA Marathon Trials history: Lisa Weidenbach's (nee Larsen) three consecutive fourth place finishes in 1984, 1988, and 1992. She also finished 19th in 1996.

1984: Olympia, Washington
May 12
Time standard = 2:51:16
267 Qualifiers, 238 Starters, 196 Finishers

Despite knee surgery 17 days before the inaugural U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, Joan Benoit won the Trials in fittingly Olympia, Washington. The Freeport, Maine resident showed her mental toughness with a solid victory over Julie Brown and surprise third place finisher Julie Isphording. After the race, Benoit said, "I feel great right now." Eleven weeks later in Los Angeles, Benoit (now Samuelson) further etched her name in the history books by winning the first women's Olympic Marathon in 2:24:52, the Olympic record until 2000.

1) Joan Benoit (ME) 2:31:04
2) Julie Brown (OR) 2:31:41
3) Julie Isphording (OH) 2:32:26
4) Lisa Larsen (MI) 2:33:10
5) Margaret Groos (VA) 2:33:38
6) Janice Ettle (MN) 2:33:41
7) Nancy Ditz (CA) 2:33:52
8) Martha White (PA) 2:34:09
9) Cathy Schiro (NH) 2:34:24
10) Sue King (AL) 2:34:29
11) Ellen Hart (CO) 2:35:04
12) Carol Urish-McLatchie (TX) 2:35:09
13) Martha Cooksey (OR) 2:35:42
14) Jane Welzel (MA) 2:35:53
15) Debbie Eide (OR) 2:36:06
16) Patti Catalano (MA) 2:36:13
17) Debby Mueller (MA) 2:36:14
18) Beth Farmer (FL) 2:36:22
19) Fordie Madeira (MA) 2:36:35
20) Sarah Quinn (NY) 2:36:54


1988: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
May 1
Time standard = 2:50:00
246 Qualifiers, 204 Starters, 159 Finishers

After several years of injury and health and personal problems, Margaret Groos put it all together with an impressive run through the streets of Pittsburgh. Her 2:29:50, the current Trials record, outdistanced veteran Nancy Ditz and rising star Cathy O'Brien. Groos credited her Trials training program for the victory stating, "I've been preparing every day; not missing any workouts. I was prepared mentally. I knew that I was ready. I felt very good, in control, and I knew that I could run faster if needed."

1) Margaret Groos (FL) 2:29:50# $25,000
2) Nancy Ditz (CA) 2:30:14 $25,000
3) Cathy O'Brien (NH) 2:30:18 $25,000
4) Lisa Weidenbach (WA) 2:31:06 $15,000
5) Kim Jones (WA) 2:32:16 $10,000
6) Debbie Raunig (MT) 2:32:36 $9,000
7) Maureen Custy-Roben (CO) 2:33:19 $8,000
8) Lynn Nelson (AZ) 2:33:31 $7,000
9) Julie Isphording (OH) 2:33:46 $6,000
10) Susan Marchiano (NV) 2:34:26 $5,000
11) Laurie Crisp (CA) 2:35:23 $4,000
12) Teresa Ornduff (VA) 2:35:37 $3,000
13) Jane Welzel (MA) 2:36:08 $2,500
14) Jennifer Colgrove (PA) 2:37:03 $2,000
15) Leatrice Hayer (MA) 2:37:13 $1,500
16) Maria Trujillo (CA) 2:37:28 $1,400
17) Gordon Bakoulis (NY) 2:37:44 $1,300
18) Doreen Ennis-Schwartz (NJ) 2:37:54 $1,200
19) Mary Alico (OR) 2:38:13 $1,100
20) Janice Ettle (MN) 2:38:42 $1,000
21) Cindi Girard-Klein (NJ) 2:39:01 $750
22) Sue Jackson (TX) 2:39:30 $750
23) Kristi Martin (MN) 2:39:56 $750
24) Mary Lammi (MA) 2:40:16 $750
25) Nancy Corsaro (MA) 2:40:27 $500
#Trials record (previous record, 2:31:04, Joan Benoit, Olympia 1984) and course and state records (previous record, 2:31:53, Sylvia Ruegger (CAN), 1987)

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