Gayle Barron

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Gayle Barron (born April 6, 1945 ) is a former American marathon runner .

During her studies at the University of Georgia , she was a cheerleader and, encouraged by her future husband, Ben, started running to lose weight and get fitter.

Career

In 1970 she was invited by the organizer of the Peachtree Road Race to take part in the premiere of this race. Although she had never run more than three miles in a row up until then , a month later she was the first woman on the 10 km course at 49:13 minutes. With further victories in 1971, 1973, 1974 and 1975, she is still the record winner at this event, which later developed into one of the most important road races in the USA.

In 1972 she ran the Peach Bowl Marathon without any special training and won in 4:15:25 h. It wasn't until two years later that she ventured again to the 42.195 km distance and won the Peach Bowl Marathon in 3:06:40. In 1975 she was third in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon and defended her title in the Peach Bowl Marathon. In Boston she met Ernst van Aaken , who from now on sent her training plans and invited her to the International Women's Marathon in Waldniel , which he organized . There she ran in 1976, after finishing fourth in Boston, in third place with 2:47:44 and stayed below 2:50 h for the first time. She was also third in the Honolulu Marathon that same year .

In 1977 she finished second in the Oregon Track Club Marathon, third in New York City and second in Honolulu. The following year she was first fifth at the premiere of the Avon Marathon and then feister her greatest athletic success at the Boston Marathon, which she won with her personal best of 2:44:52. She finished third in the Auckland Marathon .

Gayle Barron became a recreational runner coach after her active career. She was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Publications

  • with Kim Chapin: The Beauty of Running. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980, ISBN 0151114013

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Barron, Gayle
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American marathon runner
DATE OF BIRTH April 6, 1945