A 1979 Bowdoin graduate, Joan Benoit Samuelson is one of the most famous runners in the world. A two-time champion at the Boston Marathon (1979 and 1983), she won the 1984 Jesse Owens Award and in 1985 she earned the Sullivan Award as the top U.S. amateur athlete. Benoit Samuelson is remembered for her dominating gold-medal performance in the first-ever women’s marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games (2:24.52). The four-time All-American held numerous Bowdoin and New England indoor and outdoor records, including regional marks in the 1500m and 3000m races and the U.S. women’s record for the 10,000m. She set an American women’s marathon record of 2:21:21. While at Bowdoin, Joan also played on the field hockey team. A native of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Benoit Samuelson was named #20 on the 1999 Sports Illustrated Top 100 Women Athletes of the Twentieth Century.
