Olympic Women’s Marathon Champion : Joan Benoit Plans to Run in the 10,000 at the 1988 Seoul Games

It almost sounded heretical.

Joan Benoit, the winner of the inaugural women’s Olympic marathon in 1984 and the fastest women’s marathoner in history, was saying she probably wouldn’t compete in the 26-mile, 385-yard race in the 1988 Games at Seoul, South Korea.

She didn’t rule it out completely, but even the possibility of her considering skipping the event was surprising.

“If I do compete in the ’88 Olympics, it will probably be at 10,000 meters,” said Benoit.

“I’m not saying I won’t be running any marathons three years from now, but I’m aiming for 10,000 meters (the first time that event will be included in the Games for women). The gold medal I won in Los Angeles is something that can’t be beaten, so another gold medal in the marathon wouldn’t mean as much.

“I think the 10,000 is my event anyhow. People call me a marathoner, but I don’t consider myself a marathoner.

“Of course, I want to improve on my marathon time, and I think I will do it before the ’88 Games.”

Improving on her marathon time would mean breaking her world-best of 2:22:43, set in the 1983 Boston Marathon. After that race, in which Benoit clipped nearly three minutes off the previous world best of 2:25:29, shared by Allison Roe of New Zealand and Grete Waitz of Norway, there was much speculation that it would not be long before the women broke 2:20.

Benoit thought she might be capable of doing that last year, either in the U.S. Olympic Trials at Olympia, Wash., in May or at the Games in August. But shortly before the Trials, she suffered a knee injury while training, and needed arthroscopic surgery 17 days prior to the Olympia race.

“Before the injury, I didn’t believe my (fast) training times,” said Benoit, who works out virtually on her own near her home in Freeport, Maine.

The injury, however, not only ended any thoughts of a sub-2:20 marathon, but jeopardized her chances of being on the Olympic team.

However, showing remarkable recuperative powers and determination--the latter one of her outstanding qualities--she grittily finished first in the Trials, and 12 weeks later, made Olympic history with her easy victory in the marathon.

In the Games, Benoit was expected to be strongly challenged by Waitz, Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway and Rosa Mota of Portugal, among others, but she burst into the lead early and never was seriously threatened. She finished in 2:24:52, compared with 2:26:18 for Waitz, the runner-up.

“I thought I’d be outkicked by others with more speed at the end,” said Benoit. “But it was a very easy race for me. I ran by myself. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t being challenged.”

In winning, Benoit became only the fifth American--and first woman--to win an Olympic gold medal in a race above 800 meters since 1908. The others were Horace Ashenfelter in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 1952, Billy Mills in the 10,000 meters and Bob Schul in the 5,000 meters, both in 1964, and Frank Shorter in the marathon in 1972.

“I didn’t realize that,” she said. “It’s an honor to be among those who have won gold medals in (more than) 75 years.”

Benoit plans to make her 1985 indoor debut in the 3,000 meters in the Vitalis-U.S. Olympic Invitational Feb. 9 at East Rutherford, N.J., but her physical condition might delay the start of her season.

“Since the Olympics and since my wedding (to Scott Samuelson last Sept. 29), I’ve been scheduling my running around my day instead of my day around my running,” she admitted. “Also, minor injuries have been grating on me. I haven’t been able to get on a track. I hope to be able to get there soon. I want to compete (in the Olympic Invitational), but not if I can’t give my best effort.”

Benoit also said she probably would run only one marathon this year, most likely in the fall. That event is expected to be the America’s Marathon in Chicago--her first marathon since the Olympics.

The highly competitive Benoit has said that every time she goes to the starting line, she “wants to set a personal best.” If she fulfills that goal in Chicago, she could become the first woman to break the 2:20 barrier.