California Track & Running News July-Aug 2013, VOLUME 39 NUMBER 3 | Page 18

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& field and distance running] federation [Primo
Nebiolo of the IAAF] told me to my face that they
were of no value. They were garden events, they
wouldn’t sell tickets to the Games, and they were
never going in.
So the marathon had been lobbied in and the
most important thing in my life at that point was
to qualify for [the first-ever U.S. Women’s Olympic
Marathon Trials in 1984]. Unfortunately, I had
compartment syndrome in my left hamstring and
in November of 1983 I had surgery. The Women’s
Olympic Marathon Trials were going to be held in
May of 1984 [in Olympia, WA] and … my last
chance [to qualify] was Boston in April. I got to
mile 25 [in Boston], and there was a clock saying

ing. I had to finish. It was the most important
thing in my entire life.
So I woke up on a hospital cot with an IV bottle and a dog tag around my neck, a wool blanket,
and no clothes. My watch was still running. I
looked at the doctor and said, “Did I finish and
what was my time?” A nurse came back and told
me 2:47, 14th place. So, over the last mile I gained
4 minutes and lost four places. I must have looked
like I was running in place. [Editor’s Note: Lorraine
Moller won in 2:29:28. Hansen’s 2:47:48 was under
the 2:51:16 women’s qualifying standard for the
1984 Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials.]
In fact, there were two television crews following me around all day because our lawsuit was

L-R Joan Benoit Samuelson,
Jacqueline Hansen, Nina
Kuscsik, Lorraine Moeller
on the panel in Napa.

that my projected finish time was 2:44 and my
place [at that point] was 10th. That was the last
thing I remember. I had tunnel vision and was
fighting to keep myself upright. I started chanting
a mantra in my head: “I deserve to finish this race.
I have 1 mile to go.” I didn’t work 10 years for noth-

in court for the first time that day in Los Angeles.
I couldn’t be there [because of Boston] but my
lawyers could take care of court.
So I called home and said, “Get those tickets
for Olympia. We’re going!” I got a call back from
Julie Cart at the Los Angeles Times. [She told me]
we lost [the case for a women’s Olympic 5000m
and 10,000m] in court that day. I went from the
highest high to the lowest low in a moment.
That’s why it’s the most dramatic day in my entire
running career. n

18 ct&rn • July–August 2013

Arturo Ramos

The women’s
10,000m officially
became part
of the Olympic
women’s track &
field program in
1988, just 25 years
ago. The 5000m
for women was
added in 1996.

Tune in to the next issue of CTRN for Joan Benoit
Samuelson’s and Lorraine Moller’s personal insights
about women’s emergence in marathoning.
Mark Winitz is a USATF Master Level Long Distance
Running official and serves as the LDR officials coordinator for the Pacific Association of USATF.
Since 2001, he has officiated at and served as a
USATF referee at hundreds of road running and
cross country races. Recently he added a track &
field specialty to his USATF officials credentials so
he can also officiate at track meets. Contact him
[e-mail] or at 650-948-0618.