Yesterday, May 16, 2024, was Joan Benoit Samuelson’s 67th birthday. The inaugural women’s Olympic marathon gold medalist from Los Angeles 1984, two time Boston and one time Chicago Marathon champion, has been an icon of the sport since her first appearance on the marathon scene in 1979.

But her marathon career didn’t begin in Boston 1979 where she famously wore a black Bowdoin College singlet and backwards facing Boston Red Sox cap.

A number of New Englanders made the trip to Bermuda in January 1979 for a brief respite from the harsh winter conditions back home. While blustery and overcast, Hamilton, Bermuda still offered a welcome change. 

The Bermuda Marathon began in 1975 with just seven male starters. A women’s division was added in 1978, along with an international 10K run the day before.   

On Saturday, January 27, 1979, Joanie won Bermuda 10K (34:09) against North Carolina State’s Julie Shea. The next day, the two Js jumped into the marathon to do a long run.

Joanie is well known for not scouting courses before competing. That Sunday morning, when the two Americans reached the halfway mark of the marathon, the plan was to hop on the van, taking DNFs back to the finish. 

But when they got to the 13.1 mile mark, they learned the meat wagon wouldn’t be arriving until after the last runner in the field passed by. What to do? Figuring it would be quicker just to keep running, Joan and Julie continued and ran the entire 26.2 miles. Trading places from the day before, Julie finished first in 2:46:42. Joanie came in second in 2:50:54.

Later, at the awards ceremony at the local high school, Bermuda Governor Lord Peter Ramsbotham (1977-1980), the Right Honorable 3rd Viscount of Soulbury, was at the microphone long-windedly retelling the myth of Phidippides, the Greek messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens in 492 B.C. bringing word of the Greek army’s victory over a larger force of invading Persians.

Since it was a room of marathon runners, few were paying attention. They already knew the story. Besides, they just finished a marathon and there was free beer in tubs along the walls. 

As Governor Ramsbotham droned on in his high English accent, the crowd refused to settle. Finally, the governor’s chief of staff had had enough. 

Marching indignantly to the microphone – and sliding the governor aside – he harrumphed in a loud clipped accent, “would you please be QUIET! Lord Ramsbotham is speaking.” (Honest to God, I’ve got that on tape somewhere.)

In any case, some in the audience mildly complied, though some suggested between quaffs they not put tubs of beer out after a marathon, or tell the Guv to come up with a shorter, perhaps more current anecdote.

Three months later, Joanie laced her Nikes up again to run her first Boston Marathon, winning the first of two Boston olive wreath crowns in 2:35:14. Later that night she could be found in the Eliot Lounge giving barracudas to unsuspecting well-wishers and fellow finishers. Happy the Right Honorable 3rd Viscount wasn’t there to witness that. I coukd imagine the chief-of-staff telling everyone to “please stop nipping!”

Thus began the legend of JBS. I was fortunate to be there at the beginning and there’s still no end. She has been a marvel throughout (though she has long since given up her barracuda ways).

Happy belated birthday, Joanie! Today, it’s Toya’s birthday. Onward!

END