Throughout history, there have been a lot of women marathon runners. These ladies all made an impact on women’s marathons. Some have gone to the Olympics and others excelled at the Boston Marathon. If you have been following marathons for a while, there are several names that you may know in the sport, but here are a few that have certainly gone above and beyond so that they stand out amid the thousands who run each year.

Sara May Berman

As the unofficial women’s winner, Berman took home the Boston marathon win from 1969 to 1971. It is unofficial because at the time, women were not allowed to compete. This was changed in 1972. She was given credit for her wins in 1996 and in the year 2015 she was inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame.

Uta Pippig

Although retired now, Uta Pippig is a German long-distance runner that made a name for herself by winning the Boston Marathon three times in a row. Her success happened between 1994 and 1996. She also claimed the bronze medal in 1991 at the World 15km Road Race Championship.

Joan Benoit Samuelson

This lady won a gold medal while at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This made her the first-ever women’s Olympic marathon champion. To date, she continues to stand out since she still holds some of the fastest time for an American woman running the Chicago and Olympic marathons.