Nancy Conz (May 1, 1957 in Southampton, Massachusetts – February 8, 2017 in Southampton) was an American long-distance runner and "pioneer"

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

er.

Early life

Conz grew up in Southampton, Massachusetts. In 1975, Conz graduated from

Hampshire Regional High School Hampshire Regional High School is a regional secondary school located in Westhampton, Massachusetts, United States, for students in grades 7–12. The school has approximately 750 students from the towns of Westhampton, Southampton, Williamsbur ...

in Massachusetts.

Career

Conz held four American long distance running records set in the early 1980s. Three of those records, 15,000 meters, 10 miles and the one hour run were set in one

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

race at the University of Massachusetts in

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a New England town, town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (althoug ...

on June 25, 1981; but these 3 all were broken by Molly Huddle in a 1 Nov 2020 event. In 1980, Conz won her first attempt at the marathon in the Five College Marathon in

South Hadley, Massachusetts South Hadley (, ) is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,150 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. South Hadley is home to Mount Holyoke Colleg ...

. This was a qualifier for the marathon in London, England. In August 1980, Conz ran her first international race and won second place at the Avon International Marathon for Women in London, England. Conz wore bib number 184. Conz finished in 2:36:02, and it was also the #2 time in the world that year. She returned the following year to win Avon, this time in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, beating her friend and future; winning the first ever women's Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, Joan Benoit. She also won

Freihofer's Run for Women Freihofer's Run for Women is an annual five-kilometer road running competition for women that is usually held in late May or early June in Albany, New York, United States. First held in 1979, the race has grown into a sizable event that holds IAA ...

that same year. In 1982, she won the Chicago Marathon in a personal best of 2:33:22. Conz was self-coached, her only previous coaching coming from her days at

Personal life

In 1979, Conz married Paul Conz, a former blues drummer. They have two children, Derek Conz and Jarryd Conz. On February 8, 2017, Conz died in Southampton, Massachusetts after a near 20-year battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma. She was 59.

References

External links

*
ARRS history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conz, Nancy 1957 births 2017 deaths People from Southampton, Massachusetts American female long-distance runners American female marathon runners Chicago Marathon female winners Deaths from adenoid cystic carcinoma Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts 21st-century American women