30 years ago today – it was Palm Sunday 1978 – in Atlanta Georgia, an extraordinary marathon was staged – Avon International Women’s Marathon – from AIMS website

19 March: Exactly 30 years ago – it was Palm Sunday 1978 – in Atlanta Georgia, an extraordinary marathon was staged which many believed raised international awareness of the desire among women for long-distance running events as part of the Olympic Games competition programme.

It was the Avon International Women's Marathon – funded by the well-known manufacturer of health and beauty products for women – the first in a series of seven marathons held annually around the world – providing a global stage for women to demonstrate their talent at distance running. In 1981 the International Olympic Committee announced that a women's marathon would be part of the Olympic programme at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

There is little doubt that the first four Avon marathons – in such diverse locations as Atlanta, Waldniel (GER), London, and Ottawa – with runners assembled from as many as 27 countries on five continents – provided powerful evidence for the appropriateness of such a decision.

That first race of the series in Atlanta on 19 March 1978 had 225 starters from 9 countries, and 136 runners finished.

Rising newcomer Marty Cooksey, right, passes veterans Cyndy Dalrymple (behind) and Gayle Barron to win the first Avon International Women's Marathon.
The winner was Martha Cooksey (USA) in 2:46:16. The next year in Waldniel the field grew to 263 starters from 21 countries and Joyce Smith (GBR) finished in 2:36:27 ahead of 185 others. Lorraine Moller (who 12 years later was to collect a bronze medal in the Barcelona Olympic Marathon) won the 1980 Avon race in London with 2:35:11.

Among the other 154 finishers from 27 countries was the future 1984 inaugural Olympic Marathon Champion Joan Benoit, who was fourth in 2:38:42. In the following years races were held in Ottawa (1981), San Francisco (1982) and Los Angeles (1983), one year before the Olympics were due to be staged in that city. Julie Brown (USA) won that race in the fastest time recorded for the series, 2:26:26. The final Avon race was held only three months later, in Paris on 23 September 1983.

In final preparation for the Olympic stage Lorraine Moller won again in the tightest finish so far (2:32:44 to Carla Beurskens' 2:32:53) from a field of 708 starters and 612 finishers.

From AIMS website – www.aims.org