Miki Gorman was one of the first women marathoners that I knew about.

We would read about her exploits in the pages of Runners’World and then, The Runner.

The Brooks Run Guide Interviews, Julian Florez, Assistant Coach, Brooks Beasts Track Club, Episode 9

The Brooks Run Guide, A Brooks Coaching Newsletter, Back Issues (#1-#9), Fall/Winter 2025

FIFTH WIN FOR KELATI, COURSE RECORD FOR KURGAT AT MANCHESTER ROAD RACE

Miki won the Boston in 1977, New York in 1976 and 1977. She was the pocket rocket of the first marathon movement including women.

Roger Robinson’s thoughtful tribute (please read below) gives a glimpse of how impressive Miki Gorman was: a tiny women, she was powerful and fast.

A women’s marathon pioneer? Quite simply, yes.

And as Roger noted so well, if the women’s marathon had been held in 1976, Miki Gorman would have been an odds on favorite for a medal.

Please keep Miki Gorman, who died at the age of 80 on September 19, in your thoughts and prayers.

Miki Gorman, Women’s Marathon Pioneer, Dies at 80

Boston and New York City winner was a key figure in the early days of big-city marathons.

ByRoger Robinson TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2015, 5:26 PM

Miki Gorman is escorted after winning the 1977 Boston Marathon.PHOTO BY BOSTON GLOBE/GETTY IMAGES

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 Citymarathons 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.

To read the entire tribute, please go to: http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/miki-gorman-womens-marathon-pioneer-dies-at-80

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

View all posts