The women's marathon debuted at the Summer Olympics in 1984.
The inaugural Olympic women's marathon was held in Los Angeles on August 5, 1984. American Joan Benoit won in 2:24:52, finishing ahead of Norway's Grete Waitz and Portugal's Rosa Mota. The race introduced a standard Olympic event that had long existed only for men.
Fifty athletes from 28 countries entered, and 44 finished. Benoit made an aggressive move early in the race, pulling away in the third mile and maintaining her advantage despite the heat. Her victory also set the first Olympic record for the event.
The race is remembered for another dramatic moment involving Switzerland's Gabriela Andersen-Schiess. She entered the stadium severely exhausted, struggled through the final lap, and completed the course with medical staff nearby. The marathon distance itself is 42.195 kilometers, or 26.2 miles.