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Running Icon Joan Benoit Samuelson the Recipient of Boston’s Patriots’ Award

Posted April 14th, 2007 at 10:04 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Joan Benoit Samuelson The Boston Athletic Association tonight will present the sixth annual Patriots’ Award to marathon legend Joan Samuelson. The award, introduced in 2002, recognizes a New England sportsperson or organization for contributions both to sport and to the local community.

Samuelson burst onto the scene when she won the 1979 Boston Marathon. The Bowdoin College student crossed the finish line in a Red Sox hat—in a new American-record time of 2:35:15—forever endearing her to the Boston crowds.

She will forever be remembered for her dominating gold medal performance in the inaugural Olympic women’s marathon in 1984. Remarkably Samuelson had qualified by winning the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials just two and a half weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. She was considered one of the 1984 Olympic favorites based on her sensational 2:22:43 world record at the 1983 Boston Marathon.

Samuelson won the 1985 Sullivan Award honoring America’s top amateur athlete and has been inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame, National Distance Running Hall of Fame, International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America National Hall of Fame, and the International Women’s Sports Foundation Hall of Fame.

In 1999 Samuelson, a native of Cape Elizabeth, ME, founded the popular Beach to Beacon 10K, utilizing a course that runs along the coastline of her picturesque hometown. Each year, the race chooses one Maine-based, youth-oriented charity to benefit, making a donation and providing fundraising opportunities for the organization. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Beach to Beacon 10K, and STRIVE—a non-profit organization serving developmentally disabled youth—has been announced as this year’s beneficiary.

Samuelson will accept her award this evening at the “Cheers” to the Boston Marathon reception at the Hampshire House.

Past recipients of the Patriots’ Award:
2002 New England Patriots / Robert and Myra Kraft
2003 Red Auerbach and the Red Auerbach Youth Foundation
2004 Ron Burton and the Ron Burton Training Village
2005 The Red Sox Foundation
2006 Dick and Rick Hoyt, Team Hoyt
2007 Joan Samuelson, Beach to Beacon 10K