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1978 Avon International Marathon
The 1978 Avon International Marathon was the first edition of the Avon International Marathon, and took place on March 19, 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. It was a women-only marathon which had been put on to showcase female talent over the distance (), which at the time did not feature for women at the Olympic Games. The race was sponsored by Avon Products, who had covered the traveling expenses for some of the world's best female marathon runners to take part. The race was won by Marty Cooksey of the United States, a relative unknown, in a time of 2:46:16. Background Inception of the Avon International Marathon Although the men's marathon had featured at the Olympic Games since its modern inception in 1896, the women's marathon was not an established event at an international level in the 1970s. Some experts claimed that running the marathon distance, , was dangerous for women's health. Women began unofficially running in the Boston Marathon in the late 1960 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marty Cooksey
Martha "Marty" Cooksey (born July 18, 1954) is an American former long-distance runner who competed in events ranging from 5000 meters to the marathon. She achieved her marathon best time of 2:35:42 hours at the American Olympic Trials in 1984. She had her career peak in 1978, winning marathons in San Diego and Atlanta, as well as the American title with her runner-up finish at the 1978 New York City Marathon. Her times for 15 km, 20 km and half marathon were retrospectively recognised as women's world records for the road distances. Internationally, she competed for the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1982 and won the gold medal over 10,000 meters at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. Career Raised in Orange County, California, Cooksey attended California State University, Fullerton, but her sporting focus was on basketball and volleyball while she studied there.Holbreich, Curt (1987-04-28)Cooksey aching to do well in Marathon '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
