Photo: Goyk (talk)—CC BY-SA 3.0
Joan Benoit-Samuelson
- Born
- May 16, 1957 (69 years old)
- Birthplace
- Cape Elizabeth, United States
- Events
- Marathon · 10 Kilometres Road
- Height
- 1.57 m
- Weight
- 46 kg
Joan Benoit Samuelson, née Joan Benoit, (May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
She held the fastest time for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon for 32 years after winning the race in 1985.
Her time at the Boston Marathon was the fastest time by an American woman in that race for 28 years She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
As of Nov 4, 2026: Marathon 2:21:21 (#159 all-time), 10 Kilometres Road 31:37, 2019 season best 3:05:18 (Apr 15, 2019, Berlin (GER)) · Last competition: BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Berlin, Sep 29, 2019, 3:02:21 · Olympic Games: 1 gold · 69 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | – | – | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Marathon | 3:05:18 | – | Apr 15, 2019 | B.A.A. Boston Marathon, Boston, MA |
| 2015 | Marathon | 2:54:03 | – | Apr 20, 2015 | Boston Marathon |
| 2014 | Marathon | 2:52:10 | – | Apr 21, 2014 | Boston Marathon |
| 2013 | Marathon | 2:50:29 | – | Apr 15, 2013 | Boston Marathon |
| 2012 | 10MilesRoa | 1:02:30 | – | Apr 1, 2012 | Washington, DC (USA) |
| 2011 | 10Kilometr | 38:18 | – | Jun 26, 2011 | Boston, MA (USA) |
| 2011 | Semi | 1:24:52 | – | Feb 20, 2011 | Austin, TX (USA) |
| 2011 | Marathon | 2:51:29 | – | Apr 18, 2011 | Boston Marathon |