Joan Benoit became the first woman to win the Olympic marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Benoit represented the United States in Los Angeles and won the inaugural women’s Olympic marathon in 2:24:52. She took the lead early and maintained it despite strong competition, finishing ahead of Norway’s Grete Waitz and Portugal’s Rosa Mota.
The women’s marathon was added to the Olympic program in 1984, a major expansion of women’s long-distance running at the Games. Benoit’s victory came after she had recovered from knee surgery earlier in 1984, making the result especially notable in her career.
The race should not be confused with the first women’s marathon at an Olympic Games in any unofficial sense. Los Angeles 1984 was the first time the event was formally included as an Olympic women’s medal competition.