Elaine Pedersen

Elaine Pedersen (December 27, 1936 – March 6, 2000), also known as Pedie, was an American long-distance runner.

Biography

Pedersen lived in San Francisco, California, United States, and worked as an airline stewardess.[1][2]

Perdersen began running in 1966, but was often kicked out of local road races.[3] She was the first woman to run in the Dipsea Race in 1966 and the Bay to Breakers in 1967.[4]

Pedersen applied to enter the Boston Marathon, but was rejected each time that she applied due to the men-only barrier in long-distance running.[4][5] She waited on the side-lines of the marathon to join the race unofficially on two occasions[2][6] and once with her boyfriend's number.[7][8] In 1972, Pedersen was officially allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon alongside 8 other women.[4][9] She recorded a time of 3 hours 20 minutes and 38 seconds and came second to the winner of the official women's category, Nina Kuscik.[5][10]

Also in 1972, Pedersen won the Amateur Athletic Union–sanctioned women’s marathon at the Trail's End Marathon in Seaside, Oregon with a time of 3 hours 27 minutes 13 seconds.[11]

After 1972, Pedersen ran a further 20 marathons in the San Francisco Bay Area.[4]

Pedersen died from bone marrow cancer and pneumonia on March 6, 2000, aged 63.[4][5]

References

  1. ^ Amateur Athlete. Vol. 41. Amateur Athletic Union of the United States. 1970. p. 35.
  2. ^ a b Henderson, Joe (1970). Road Racers and Their Training. Tafnews Press. pp. 10, 91. ISBN 978-0-911520-14-9.
  3. ^ Ullyot, Joan (1980). Running Free: A Guide for Women Runners and Their Friends. Putnam. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-399-50580-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e Giesin, Dan (March 10, 2000). "Elaine Pedersen of Mill Valley Blazed Trail for Female Runners". SFGATE. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c "Elaine Pedersen; Runner Helped Break Barriers". Los Angeles Times. March 11, 2000. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  6. ^ Runner's World. Vol. 31. Rodale Press. 1996. p. 78.
  7. ^ Sears, Edward S. (June 22, 2015). Running Through the Ages (2nd ed.). McFarland. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-7864-7339-7.
  8. ^ Lane, Stephen (September 5, 2023). Long Run to Glory: The Story of the Greatest Marathon in Olympic History and the Women Who Made It Happen. Simon and Schuster. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4930-7760-1.
  9. ^ "ET LES FEMMES? Les pionnières du marathon". Google Arts and Culture (in French). Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  10. ^ Krise, Raymond; Squires, Bill (1982). Fast Tracks: The History of Distance Running Since 884 B.C. S. Greene Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-8289-0482-7.
  11. ^ “Marathon Runner Elaine No Longer Banned in Boston,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 15, 1972. p. 40.
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