This is a special live recording of the Podium Pioneers Panel, which took place at the 2023 Boston Marathon Expo live stage. Women's Running Stories host Cherie Turner once again teamed up with Lisa Levins and Julie Sapper of the Run Farther and Faster podcast to co-cost a live Boston Marathon event.

This year we welcomed three women who helped form the foundation of marathoning; they have each also placed among the top three at the Boston Marathon. Please enjoy the panel discussion with these three groundbreaking guests:

Marilyn Bevans: Marilyn was the first African-American woman to break 3 hours in the marathon and the first Black woman to podium at Boston also in 1977. Two years later, Marilyn ran her PR on the Boston course in 2:49. Among her many honors, just yesterday, Marilyn was inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame. She is also featured in the documentary Breaking Three Hours, and this year, four women ran the Boston Marathon as Team Bevans in Marilyn’s honor. Marilyn resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where she continues to coach youth runners.

Jacqueline Hansen: fifty years ago, Jacqueline won the Boston Marathon. After her Boston win, Jacqui set two world marathon records and became the first woman to break 2:40. Jacqui is also a leading advocate for women’s running. Among her many roles, she served as the president of the International Runners Committee, which advocated for more women’s distance races at the Olympic Games, including the addition of the marathon in 1984. Jacqueline resides in California where she continues to coach and advocate for women’s running.

Patti Catalano Dillon: Patti started running at age 23 in an effort to lose weight. Just a few years later-in 1980, Patti became the first American woman to break 2:30 in the marathon. She is a three-time Boston Marathon runner-up and a NYC Marathon runner-up. She is also the first Native American woman to achieve all of these accomplishments. Patti is the head coach for the Wings of America Elite Team Program for Native youth athletes, the first team of its kind.

Learn more about the Breaking Three Hours documentary: http://mobile.breakingthreehours.com/

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Email host Cherie: [email protected]

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