The women’s marathon was added to the Olympic Games in 1984.
The inaugural Olympic women’s marathon was held at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Joan Benoit of the United States won the race, establishing the event as a permanent part of the Olympic athletics program. Women had competed in other Olympic running events before 1984, but the marathon was not included until that edition.
The delay reflected longstanding, incorrect assumptions that women were not suited to long-distance competition. Women’s road races and marathons had already demonstrated strong participation and performance outside the Olympics, helping build pressure for official inclusion.
The Olympic marathon is now contested by both women and men over the standard road distance. The women’s event usually takes place late in the athletics program and remains one of the Games’ most demanding endurance races.