Today, May 12, 2024, marks the 40th anniversary of the first U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, staged in Olympia, Washington. It took the work of many people over many years to bring the dream of a U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials to fruition, including the women pioneers who were past their prime by the time these first trials were staged..

238 women had qualified by running 2:51:16 or better. The top two seeds in the race, Joan Benoit of Freeport, Maine, who ran the women’s world record, 2:22:43, in Boston 1983, and Julie Brown of Eugene, Oregon, with a best of 2:26:26 from the U.S. Championships in LA `83, finished 1-2, with Benoit at, or near, the lead throughout, Brown hanging back before coming on in the last third of the race.

The big surprise of the day was Cincinnati’s 22-year-old Julie Isphording, who came in as the 31st seed off her 2:34:24, sixth 6th place at the 1982 New York City Marathon. Julie ran a near two minute PB in Olympia, 2:32:26 to take the coveted third spot on the Olympic team. 

Battle Creek, Michigander Lisa Larsen (now Rainsberger) finished in the unenviable fourth place “first alternate” position in 2:33:10. It would be the first of three straight “if only” fourth place Olympic Trials placings for Lisa.

”I wouldn’t have raced differently,“ Lisa said afterward. “I would’ve trained differently, more hard, 20 milers.“

The third seed in the race, Boston’s Patti Catalano (now Dillon), came in off a series of injuries, and a 2:50:23 run in Houston earlier in the year. She could only manage 16th place in Olympia.

”I reached a new fitness level three weeks ago,“ Patti said after her 2:36:13. “I did a lot of training in Vermont, and lost 13 pounds since Houston. But if this weren’t the first Olympic Trials, I wouldn’t be here.”

31 Californians finished the race that day, 17 from Massachusetts, 14 from New York, 10 each from Oregon and Texas. I had the good fortune to serve as the start/finish line announcer.

The race led to the inaugural women’s Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles on August 5. Another race famously won by Maine’s Joan Benoit, who later that fall would marry Scott Samuelson. 

After her win in Olympia, Joanie said, “I felt all along I had to give the trials my best shot. It’s not possible to be at full capacity by August 5th (Olympic Marathon in L.A.). I was running comfortably at 12 miles. I had run my own race. I knew my legs could go at any point. The last 6 miles were very tough. My cardiovascular system felt great, but my legs would be lucky to hold on. I knew at 20 miles I’d be in trouble if the pack came on me.”

They never did. 

Second-place finisher Julie Brown said, “yeah, I was happy. But I was expected to make the team, and I expected to try to do it as easily as possible. I shouldn’t say, but I knew I’d make the team unless I cramped up. I saved a lot. I expected it to be a 2:27–2:28 race. I got a couple of blisters, that’s all. I planned on running non-competitively until 20 miles unless I had to.”

In ninth place came 16-year-old Cathy Schiro (now O’Brien) of Dover, New Hampshire. She was up into fourth place until 23 miles. Her 2:34:24 time remains the U.S. high school record, and held as the national junior record for 36 years. Cathy would finish third in the 1988 trials.  

“When I got to 22, I felt great. At 23 it hit me. From 22 to 23, I felt very strong. I felt like I had confidence. I may have gone out too fast, but I’m happy the way it turned out. I’ve only run one half marathon and two marathons, so eventually, I think it’ll be my best event.”

The city of Olympia was a wonderful host. Dole was the major sponsor. Brent James, partner of Super Jock ‘n Jill, one of Seattle’s oldest running stores, was executive director. 

“I wanted the first marathon trials to be more than just a race,” said Brent. “I felt it should acknowledge the achievement of women’s athletics.”

It did just that. Anyway, wonderful memories from a time when women were still fighting for equal ground on many fields. But thanks to a score of hard-working, dedicated people, they delivered the goods on May 12, 1984. Congratulations to one at all. Happy Mother’s Day to all.

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