| Final | time | | | 1. Joan Benoit |  United States | 2:24:52 | | | 2. Grete Waitz |  Norway | 2:26:18 | | | 3. Rosa Mota |  Portugal | 2:26:57 | | | 4. Ingrid Kristiansen | Norway | 2:27:34 | | | 5. Lorraine Moller |  New Zealand | 2:28:34 | | | 6. Priscilla Welch |  Great Britain | 2:28:54 | | | 7. Lisa Martin |  Australia | 2:29.03 | | | 8. Silvia Ruegger |  Canada | 2:29:09 | | | 9. Laura Fogli |  Italy | 2:29:28 | | | 10.Tuija Toivonen |  Finland | 2:32:07 | | | 11.Joyce Smith | Great Britain | 2:32:48 | | | 12.Alba Milana | Italy | 2:33:01 | | | 13.Dorthe Rasmussen |  Denmark | 2:33:40 | | | 14.Sarah Rowell | Great Britain | 2:34:08 | | | 15.Sinikka Keskitalo | Finland | 2:35:15 | | | 16.Charlotte Teske |  West Germany | 2:35:56 | | | 17.Anne Marie Malone | Canada | 2:36:33 | | | 18.Midde Hamrin |  Sweden | 2:36:41 | | | 19.Nanae Sasaki |  Japan | 2:37:04 | | | 20.Paola Moro | Italy | 2:37:06 | | | 21.Ria Van Landeghem |  Belgium | 2:37:11 | | | 22.Carla Beurskens |  Netherlands | 2:37:51 | | | 23.Regina Joyce |  Ireland | 2:37:57 | | | 24.Marie-Christine Deurbroeck | Belgium | 2:38:01 | | | 25.Maria Trujillo |  Mexico | 2:38:50 | | | 26.Bente Moe | Norway | 2:40:52 | | | 27.Mary O'Connor | New Zealand | 2:41:22 | | | 28.Carey May | Ireland | 2:41:27 | | | 29.Francine Peeters | Belgium | 2:42:22 | | | 30.Zehava Shmueli |  Israel | 2:42:27 | | | 31.Winnie Ng |  Hong Kong | 2:42:38 | | | 32.Monica Regonesi |  Chile | 2:44:44 | | | 33.Naydi Nazario |  Puerto Rico | 2:45:49 | | | 34.Yuko Gordon | Hong Kong | 2:46:12 | | | 35.Ena Guevara |  Peru | 2:46:50 | | | 36.Julie Brown | United States | 2:47:33 | | | 37.Gabriela Andersen-Schiess |  Switzerland | 2:48:42 | | | 38.Rita Borralho | Portugal | 2:50:58 | | | 39.Conceição Ferreira | Portugal | 2:50:58 | | | 40.Maria Cardenas | Mexico | 2:51:03 | | | 41.María Luisa Ronquillo | Mexico | 2:51:04 | | | 42.Nelly Chávez |  Bolivia | 2:51:35 | | | 43.Mary Wagaki |  Kenya | 2:52:00 | | | 44.Eleonora de Mendonça |  Brazil | 2:52:19 | | | -. Ifeoma Mbanugo |  Nigeria | DNF | | | -. Akemi Masuda | Japan | DNF | | | -. Jacqueline Gareau | Canada | DNF | | | -. Julie Isphording | United States | DNF | | | -. Anne Audain | New Zealand | DNF | | | -. Leda Díaz |  Honduras | DNF | |
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| | | Finish: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 93,607. | | 50 competitors from 28 nations. |
With a warm (24 °C) overcast day, it was thought that a really fast time
was unlikely, but Benoit was of a different mind, and she dominated the
race. Benoit moved away from the field after only three miles, leading
at 5km by 6 seconds from Waitz, Kristiansen and Mota. Waitz, the
World Champion, felt that the pace was too fast, and she let Benoit
move away. The American, who had run a world best 2:22:43 in 1983,
increased her pace after passing 10km in 35:24, covering the next
10km in an almost unbelievable 33:08. She then led by 1:12 from
Mota, with the two Norwegians 60m behind. There was no let up as
Benoit ran the next 10km in 33:51, with the three pursuers together
1:51 behind. Benoit slowed up a little in the fourth 10km section
(34:51), losing 24 seconds, and she finished 1:26 ahead of Waitz, hav-
ing run the second fastest time ever. The battle for the lesser medals
was determined shortly after the 30km mark, when Waitz went clear of
Kristiansen. Mota passed the second string Norwegian after the 40km
mark, setting a Portuguese record in third place. Each of the finishers
from fifth to 10th place ran lifetime bests.
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