Introduction:
The International Runners Committee formed in 1979 and consisted of
the “movers and shakers” in the running community, with the common goal of lobbying international governing federations to include women’s distance races in the Olympic Games program. Original members of the executive board included Joe Henderson, Jacqueline Hansen, Jeff Darman, Doris Brown Heritage, Nina Kuscsik, Leal-Ann Reinhart, Henley Gabeau, Tom Sturak, Joan Ullyot, Ken Young, Eleonora Mendonca (Brazil), Manfred Steffny (West Germany), Sarolta Monspart (Hungary), Lyn Billington (England), Arthur Lydiard (New Zealand) and Miki Gorman (Japan).
Today in 2023, World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF, International Amateur Athletics Federation), celebrated its 40th anniversary of World Championships. It originated in 1983 and was held at Helsinki, Finland in August of 1983. The lineup of the women’s events differed in a few critical ways. Today, the women have a full slate of events. In 1983 the longest track distance for women increased from 1500 meters to 3000 meters (but without steeplechase barriers like the men had). More significantly, off the track the marathon was added for the women for the first time in the history of the sport.
Also in 1983 the International Runners Committee announced an international class action lawsuit against the International Olympic Committee and all the governing bodies serving underneath the IOC. The suit was in response to the rejection of the two women’s distance events, 5000m and 10,000m when the marathon was accepted.
We held a press conference simultaneously in Helsinki at the meet, from a courthouse in Los Angeles, all aired on a morning TV show in the US.
If you want to read more about the International Runners Committee and the marathon, it’s in my book, with an excerpt here:
Chapter 19 “Making it Official”
If you want to read more about the lawsuit and quest for the 5000 and 10,000m, here is an excerpt from my book:
Chapter 20 “Pressing Our Case”
As the 40th anniversary approaches, interest grows in Joan Benoit Samuelson’s Olympic Marathon win. Here are some of the related publications which have come to my attention.
Very recently, author Stephen Lane published a book “Long Run to Glory: the story of the greatest marathon in Olympic history and the women who made it happen.” To quote him, “the race was more than a race; it was the culmination of a decades-long struggle . . .”
In 2022, author Peter McDonnell released on Audible “Miles to Go: the story of the first women’s marathon and the battle for the right to run.” McDonnell weaves the history into Joan’s story of her Olympic race. She even narrates a good portion of the story, as do key characters in the history.
I graduated high school in 1962 without the slightest hint that any of my female friends had any interest in sports. It was for boys only. Most female athletes today, I think, have no concept of what it was like a half century ago. I appreciate articles such as this as reminders of the the challenges, the time, the money spent by these pioneers to raise our sport to the level we just saw at the world championships.
Awww, I wish Mom (Henley Gabeau) was around to celebrate this 40th anniversary with you all. It was momentous what you undertook and had such a lasting impact. Thank you for your work, then and now, Jacqueline.
Robin, I sure wish she was here too. I added a photo with her. Not the greatest picture but it is the only group photo of the IRC in existence. Thank you!
Jim, today’s athletes mostly take opportuities for granted, and that’s as it should be. Dick Buerkle once said to me that he could not imagine what it must be like to fight for every event, when he was born with the God given right to run whatever he wants.
I do like to keep the history alive as a reminder, our dreams came true.
I graduated high school in ’70 and, in retrospect, am embarrassed that it didn’t occur to me the girls didn’t have the same sports opportunities as the boys. There were some girls I knew that ran on area clubs … so there was that. Among the girls/women were Olympian Francie Kraker & current long-time Eastern Michigan Univ head men’s/women’s coach Sue Parks. With help from a local lawsuit & passage of Title IX, girls in Michigan started filling up teams by the mid-70’s – the BEST thing to ever happen in sports! I coached prep girls for 5 of those early yrs and later married a woman that’d run in the first Olympic Trials Marathon in Olympia. I recall receiving some of those IRC newsletters and pleased to see how hard the ‘movers/shakers’ were working.
💙
Thanks for the mention, Jackie! You and the other pioneers are an inspiration!! –Steve
Thank you for saying so, and for giving due recognition to the IRC. Lesser known, but highly deserved. We appreciate it.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does.” Margaret Mead