Joan Benoit Samuelson runs 3:02 in Berlin–at age 62

Joan Benoit Samuelson, one of the most accomplished marathoners in history, continues to set fast times after 40-plus years

Anne Francis September 29, 2019

America’s sweetheart, Joan Benoit Samuelson, ran 3:02:21 at this morning’s BMW Berlin Marathon. The 1979 and 1983 Boston Marathon champ and winner of the very first Olympic women’s marathon in 1984, Samuelson is still racking up a couple of very impressive marathon times every year. So far the goal of becoming the first woman over 60 to run a sub-3 has eluded her, but she remains the only woman in the world to have run sub-3 marathons in five successive decades.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B28vojLgkWh/

Yes, you read that right. Samuelson has sub-3 finishes in each of five decades. (She is 62 years old.) Her first was in 1979, and her last was in 2010, and she ran sub-3 in the 80s, 90s, and oughts, as well. Samuelson also won her age group at Boston in 2013 and 2019.

Boston Marathon legend Joan Benoit Samuelson finishes the Boston Marathon 40 years after her historic win. pic.twitter.com/vCrfvS0ttp

— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) April 15, 2019

Before last year’s Chicago marathon, Samuelson expressed her desire to make history as the first woman over 60 to run sub-3, but it wasn’t to be. Wet conditions in Chicago led to slower-than-usual finishing times, and she finished in 3:12. She followed that up with a 3:04 in Boston in April, and now a 3:02 today in Berlin. Perhaps she will target a fast spring marathon for one last try in 2020?

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