Which country won the first Olympic women’s marathon at Los Angeles 1984?

The United States won the first Olympic women’s marathon at Los Angeles 1984 through Joan Benoit.

Joan Benoit won the inaugural Olympic women’s marathon in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 52 seconds. She took the lead early and maintained it despite the hot conditions, becoming the first woman to win an Olympic marathon title.

Women’s long-distance running had long faced resistance from sporting authorities, who incorrectly claimed that strenuous endurance events were unsuitable for women. The Olympic women’s marathon was finally added in 1984, making Los Angeles a landmark edition for gender equality in the athletics program.

Benoit’s victory is sometimes confused with the first women’s marathon world record or the first women’s Olympic athletics event. Women had already competed in Olympic athletics, but the marathon itself had not been included for women before 1984. The race covered the standard marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres.