juicerunningloose:

Not much needs to be said about Joan Benoit because her steps speak more than her words ever could. The story behind this race is an amazing one, in March of 1984, Benoit seriously injured her knee during a 20 mile training run and was forced to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. Assumed to be out for the count just a mere 17 days before the United States Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials Benoit toed the line and won! Three months later at the Olympic games in Los Angeles, even after her impressive effort at the trials, she was not considered a threat to contend for the podium. However, Joan was a different kind of runner cut from a separate cloth and instead of sitting back and playing it safe she took the early lead at mile #2 and charged to a blistering pace. Believing she was a playing a fool’s game the field let her go assuming she would fade back or quit. Unfortunately for them Benoit was in the process of making a legend out of herself. Joan did not fade, she did not quit, settle back or surrender. Instead she pushed forward, pressed on and ran her way to Olympic glory by winning the first ever (official) Olympic women’s marathon.

she is fantastic. that hat is fantastic.