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Beth Bonner, the face of a promising youth

The first woman to run a marathon in under 3 hours

Beth Bonner was born in 1952 in Pennsylvania. The future athlete began running in the 1960s at a time when long-distance running was almost exclusively reserved for men. Despite this, Beth became a pioneer in long-distance running with times that were both atypical and promising. She marked her era by being the first woman at only 19 years old to run a marathon in under 3 hours in New York. The prodigy achieved the record time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 22 seconds ⌛.

A record of gold and records

Her achievements followed her victory in 1971 at the New York marathon; in the same year, she set what was then considered the women's world record for the marathon. She also participated in the first Boston marathon officially open to women in 1972.

Like Kathrine Switzer, Beth was an inspiration for women and future generations. She contributed to the democratization of the women's marathon several years before this discipline was included in the Olympic Games (1984). Beth Bonner proved, with her times ⏱️ and tenacity, that women could excel at long distances.

The everlasting mark of an extraordinary journey

Beth Bonner represents the progress of women's sports, especially in the 1970s. She is among those women who paved the way in a male-dominated field at a time when the participation of women in marathons was seen as risky, or even dangerous. The athlete will remain forever a great pioneer in the history of the marathon.