First African-American woman to break three hours in the Marathon will be the honorary starter of the 2018 Baltimore Marathon

Marilyn Bevans’ running career began fancifully, a young girl chasing butterflies at summer camp. She grew wings of her own, or so it seemed, blossoming into a world-class distance runner at the dawn of the marathon craze. Bevans, of northwest Baltimore, either won or finished second among women in five of the first seven Maryland Marathons, starting in 1973. She triumphed in 1977, setting a course record 2 hours, 51 minutes and 18 seconds and again in 1979. Hailed as America’s first celebrated black female marathoner, she was the first woman of her race to break the three-hour mark for a 26.2 mile event, placing fourth in the 1975 Boston Marathon (2:57). On Saturday morning, Bevans, 68, will be poised at the starting line again, bullhorn in hand, as the honorary starter for the Baltimore Running Festival. “It’s a new experience for me and it should be kind of fun,” she said. Bevans still runs every other day, about 15 miles a week, though at a more deliberate pace.

posted Friday October 19th