Record Times Lead to Boston : Kristiansen Aiming at 2:20 Marathon Barrier

Breaking the 2-hour, 20-minute barrier in the marathon has been an obsession with the top women’s runners since 1983 when Joan Benoit Samuelson became the first to go under 2:25.

Six years later, the goal is still there, and Monday in the 93rd Boston Marathon Norway’s Ingrid Kristiansen may finally crack it.

Kristiansen has been trumpeting her intent for the past four years, after setting the women’s world best of 2:21:06 in the 1985 London Marathon.

But she has fallen short each time.

Now, she appears in the best condition of her career and ready for an all-out assault on a sub-2:20 race.

“I feel I’m fit. But, I’m not thinking about 2:20 this time,” she said. “This time, I have come to Boston trying to win the race. I will try to run as fast as possible and hope it will be my best time.

“If the weather conditions are nice on Monday, I will try. It is not enough for me to beat Joan Benoit. I want to go for 2:20 and the world record. I wouldn’t be surprised if I did 2:20 Monday. It’s a mental barrier.”

Kristiansen’s recent performances indicate that she might easily crash through the barrier.

Last Sunday, she smashed the course record in winning the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) Boston Milk Run in 30:58. And last month, she set the women’s world best in winning the New Bedford Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) in 1:08:32.

“Too many people are saying we can’t do it because it’s too fast for women,” Kristiansen said about a sub-2:20 marathon. “But people also said that about 2:30 and 2:25.

“So it would be very significant if I broke it.”

The significance of a sub-2:20 marathon would be similar to Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute-mile barrier in 1954. It would also continue to close the gap between men and women marathoners.

In 1970, there was more than a 54-minute difference between the best men’s and women’s marathoners (2:08:34 to 3:02:53). By 1980, the gap had diminished to just over 17 minutes (2:08:34 to 2:25:41).

Now, it is less than 15 minutes (2:06:50 to 2:21:06).