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Marilyn Bevans Honored at Boston Marathon on Fiftieth Anniversary of Her Historic Race
First African American woman to break the three-hour marathon barrier in 1975 was also the first Black woman in the world to break the barrier. In 1977, she became the first Black woman to place at the Boston and Chicago Marathon with second place finishes and to be ranked in the top ten women marathoners in the world by Track and Field News.
BOSTON - April 21, 2025 - PRLog -- Marilyn Bevans was honored at the 41st Wreath Ceremony on Thursday evening for the fiftieth anniversary of becoming the first African American woman to run a marathon in under three hours at the 1975 Boston Marathon. The event was presented by the Alpha Omega Council, Consulate General of Greece in Boston, and the 26.2 Foundation. Additional research supports that she may have also be the first Black woman in the world to run under three hours. In 1977, she accomplished three additional feats as the first Black woman in the world to
- Be ranked in the top ten fastest women marathoners.
- Place at the Boston Marathon with a second-place finish.
- Place at the Chicago Marathon with a second-place finish.
She was inducted into the National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2013 by the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) and was featured in the documentary Breaking Three Hours: Trailblazing African American Women Marathoners in 2022. Anthony Reed, the NBMA co-founder and executive director, also wrote and directed the feature-length documentary. He noticed that the annual ranking of the top ten fastest women marathoners in Track and Field News didn't begin until 1976. This was the year after Ms. Bevans broke three hours for the first time at the Boston Marathon. In 1977, she was the first Black woman globally to achieve a top ten ranking. Thus, there's an extremely high probability that she was also the first Black woman to break three hours. Kenya's Tegla Loroupe was the second Black woman to be ranked in the top ten in 1994.
Anthony says that we're looking forward to celebrations at both the 2027 Boston and Chicago Marathons to honor the fiftieth anniversary of her astounding 1977 feats.
About the National Black Marathoners' Association: The National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) is the USA's largest, not-for-profit organization of men and women that is dedicated to encouraging Black Americans and others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through running and walking. It is open to everyone, regardless of their athletic ability or previous marathon experience. Over 60% of our members have never run a marathon. Visit www.BlackMarathoners.org for more information.
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
Source: National Black Marathoners Association
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