Beth Bonner (Elizabeth Bonner; June 9, 1952 - October 9, 1998) was a long-distance runner from Reedsville, West Virginia.[1] On May 9, 1971, Bonner ran a 3:01:42 marathon time in Philadelphia at the AAU Eastern Regional Championships,[2] breaking the world best set one year earlier by Caroline Walker.[3] On September 19, 1971, she became the first winner of the women's division of the New York City Marathon at the age of 19. Some sources question the validity of Adrienne Beames' 2:46:30 time one month earlier, so Bonner's 2:55:22 performance at New York is frequently credited as the first sub-three hour performance by a woman.[4]
She attended Brandywine College.[5]
In 1994 she was coaching in Louisiana.[6] She died in Kerrville, Texas in 1998 when she was hit by a truck while biking.[7][8]
An annual 5K run is held in her name in Arthurdale, West Virginia.[9]
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Caroline Walker |
Women's Marathon World Record Holder May 9, 1971 – December 5, 1971 |
Succeeded by Cheryl Bridges |