The 1986 Women’s New York Mini-Marathon showcased the woman who inspired our Bone Daddy….the original Sportsphile and the person responsible for recording our incredible vintage video library….to set a fan record at the 1984 Los Angeles Olypics that can never be broken….only tied….by seeing a live event at every sport competed at the L A Games….for it was USA Joan Benoit who competed in the 1st ever women’s marathon in the Olympics….and drove herself to a gold medal by a long shot…..in an achievement that Bone Daddy saw live….which inspired he and his two Olympic travelling partners to turn a trip designed to see 9 Olympic event competitions into 26 live event competitions in 26 different sports competed in 1984…..and she is competing in this NY Mini-Marathon just 2 years later.
This 1986 NYC mini-marathon event for women featured some 8,000 competitors along with 100,000 fans lining the streets of New York….and a field that included the three best at this distance in the world in world record holder Ingrid Kristiansen from Norway….Joan Benoit Samuelson (as Joanie got married after the Olympics)…..along with Portugal’s Aurora Cunya….in a race that would be won by Kristiansen in a time of 31 minutes 45 seconds….while Benoit took second….as this event was covered by ABC’s Wide World of Sports….with hosts Donna De Varona and Katherine Switzer.
