Benoit won her first Boston Marathon in 2:35:15, setting an American course record.
On April 23, 1979, Joan Benoit won the Boston Marathon for the first time, crossing the finish line in 2:35:15, a time that set an American course record at the historic race.
This victory announced Benoit as a serious contender on the American and international marathon scene at a time when women's distance running was still gaining legitimacy — women had only been officially permitted to run the Boston Marathon since 1972. Her decisive win demonstrated the rapidly rising standard of women's marathoning in the United States.
The performance was especially notable for the toughness Benoit displayed; she reportedly wore a Boston Red Sox cap and battled through the notoriously hilly course with strategic pacing that became her hallmark. This first Boston title began a rivalry-filled and record-setting relationship with the race that would culminate in her legendary 1983 performance.
The win also boosted the profile of women's marathoning nationally, helping fuel momentum that would eventually lead to the inclusion of a women's Olympic marathon. It remains one of the seminal results in the mapping of Benoit's rise from a promising Bowdoin College runner to a world-class athlete.