It was 25 years ago today that Joanie shocked the World!

[SQUACKEE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dFgH_vDh6E

[dukehjsteve]

Great stuff ! Thanks for posting it !!!

[Halfmiler2]

One of the most electrifying moments I have ever experienced as a spectator in a stadium was when she came out of the tunnel on to the track.

[SQUACKEE]

One of the most electrifying moments I have ever experienced as a spectator in a stadium was when she came out of the tunnel on to the track.

My entire body has turned green with envy. I'm the Hulk without the bulk! :cry:

[dukehjsteve]

One of the most electrifying moments I have ever experienced as a spectator in a stadium was when she came out of the tunnel on to the track.

I know it might sound ridiculous to some, but occasionally when I am running a 5k road race, and I'm getting weary with about a half mile to go, to summon inspiration and energy, I try to imagine that I'm Joan entering the tunnel at the Coliseum.....

[imaginative]

If you pardon someone who was a nine y.o. non-American
at the time (and, thus, missed the original publicity):

What was shocking about it? I thought she was the
favourite, with WR credentials.

[SQUACKEE]

If you pardon someone who was a nine y.o. non-American
at the time (and, thus, missed the original publicity):

What was shocking about it? I thought she was the
favourite, with WR credentials.

She may have been a co-fav, great runners in the race. What was shocking in the L.A. sun and something ive never seen in an Olympic 26er is a runner taking the lead and hammering alone for the last 22 miles.

[lonewolf]

I am remembering correctly that she had an appendectomy a few days/weeks before the Olympics?

[ed gee]

Knee arthroscopy.

[mcgato]

The knee arthroscope was before the Olympic Trials in May. The Olympics were in August.

I agree with someone above that it probably shouldn't be viewed as particularly shocking. She was one of the main favorites, along with the two from Norway. I wasn't all that surprised that she took the pace out fairly fast, but I was surprised that nobody went with her.

[mump boy]

One of the most electrifying moments I have ever experienced as a spectator in a stadium was when she came out of the tunnel on to the track.

I know it might sound ridiculous to some, but occasionally when I am running a 5k road race, and I'm getting weary with about a half mile to go, to summon inspiration and energy, I try to imagine that I'm Joan entering the tunnel at the Coliseum.....

not ridiculous at all i pretend the be paula in 2012

[lonewolf]

Knee arthroscopy.

Even more impressive, to me. I have never had an appendectomy but I had knee arthoscopy in February 1982 at age 50.5 and hobbled for months before struggling through an 11:45 two mile in October, about :30 off previous years performance. What was Joanie's pace per mile for 26 miles.?

[SQUACKEE]

Knee arthroscopy.

What was Joanie's pace per mile for 26 miles.?

5:27?

[orvilleatkins]

The Boston Marathon

That Olympic run should not have shocked us but it did. I was standing in the middle of Wilshire Blvd on the eastern border of Santa Monica as the lead pack came into view far in the distance. They were all together except for the small figure that was out in front and slowly moving further and further ahead with each block run. When Joan went by me I remember thinking that she had gone out far too fast. The problem with my thinking was that I had forgotten that Monday, April 18th, 1983 day when Joan had done the same thing in Boston. She broke all of the women's records (CR, AR, WR) with a 2:22:43 marathon winning the race by over six minutes on that difficult course. The new Historical Picture Book called "The Boston Marathon" of the "Images of Sport" series published by Arcadia Publishing and written by Richard A. Johnson and Robert Hamilton Johnson with a foreward by John J. Kelley has a picture of Joan receiving her Olive Wreath that April day. The book is a fine pictorial history of the Boston Marathon with well over 200 pictures beginning in 1897 and ending in 2008. The book stands beside Tom Derderian's "Boston Marathon" as a great tribute to the Boston Marathon. By the way, Tom's picture is on page 90 of the new book.

[basslop]

I live in the country which got the silver and the fourth. My fellow citizens and I were rather chocked about what happened. We knew that Benoit was a good runner - but that good ….

When she went off from the pack that early as she did, we (including the Norwegian runners and the coaches) were certain that she would have to pay badly after 30k and that Grete and Ingrid would pick up gradually and outrun her at the end. The further the race went without reducing her lead considerably, the more frustrated and worried we were.


Joan Benoit’s victory was primarily psychologically. For months before the race the Norwegians (coaches, runners, media etc) were talking a lot about the long boring straight ahead sections of the course, the heat and the risk of polluted air. So I think they were convinced, by themselves, that the only way to run this race was by a very gently start. JB probably understood this and had enough self confidence and faith to chock her hardest competitors by doing the opposite. We knew about her surgery and that really puzzled us. What shape was she in? With that in mind her early go shocked even more. :? :cry: