For Samuelson, It’s One Finish Line After the Next

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Joan Benoit Samuelson is a goal oriented woman. The 53-year-old mother and Olympic gold medalist set out to run a sub-three-hour marathon and, like she has done with so many other feats, accomplished it last Saturday when she completed the Chicago Marathon in 2:47.50. As Jere Longman reported, it was the fastest time for a woman age 52 and older, but was short of the 2:46 she needed to qualify for the Olympic trials.

Samuelson’s personal best in Chicago, which she achieved in 1985, was 2:21:21, almost 27 minutes faster than her time this year.

“With every finish line I cross, there seems to be a new opportunity to set a goal for myself,” Samuelson told The Times’s Jere Longman before the Chicago race last weekend. “I’m still passionate about the sport.”

Longman writes: “In the winter she cross-trains on Nordic skis. In the summer, she balances running with kayaking and cycling. And she continues to limbo under 2:50 — finishing the 2008 Olympic trials in 2:49:08, a record for American women 50 and older. Last year, she ran the New York City Marathon in 2:49:09.”