Miki (Michiko) Gorman, a pioneer woman marathon runner of the 1970s, died on September 19 in Bellingham, Washington, at age 80 after a five-year battle with cancer. Gorman’s daughter, Danielle Mika, announced her mother’s death in a blog post on October 6.
Gorman, a Japanese-born American, won the Boston and New York City marathons in the mid-1970s, playing an important role in keeping American runners and races at the forefront of the newly established women’s marathon.
She set the world’s fastest time by a woman in a certified marathon race in 1973 (2:46:36), and a world best for the half marathon in 1978 (1:15:58). In 1976, she also ran what was then history’s second-fastest marathon time, 2:39:11, which was her personal record.
By Roger Robinson – Tuesday, October 6, 2015 – in RUNNERS WORLD
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