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Maureen Wilton

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Maureen "Moe" Wilton (born November 30, 1953) is a former Canadian long-distance runner who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations as having set a world best in the marathon on May 6, 1967, with a time of 3:15:23 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1][2][nb 1] Wilton, who started running when she was nine years old, was 13 when she set the mark; it was her first marathon and run on an unpaved Eastern Canadian Marathon Championships course.[1] [6][7] Her time broke the previous record, set in 1964, by more than four minutes.[7]

Wilton was coached by Thian "Sy" Mah.[1][6][7] Mah would complete his first marathon that day, then go on to set a Guinness World Records mark for the most lifetime marathons.[6][8] Invited by Mah, Kathrine Switzer also ran the marathon that day - only sixteen days after her historic run at the Boston Marathon.[6] Wilton reportedly told Switzer, who finished about an hour behind her, that she was interested in The Monkees more than running.[6][7]

Wilton stopped running at the age of 17, though she did compete at the World Cross-Country Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when she was 15.[1][7][6]

As an adult, Wilton worked in the financial industry, has two children, and is married (now known as Maureen Mancuso).[6] Only when her daughter began competitive running did Wilton take up the sport again and share her running history with her.[7] Wilton and Switzer ran the Toronto GoodLife Half Marathon together in 2010, the reunion documented by John Chipman in a CBC Radio documentary entitled "Did my Mom ever Run?"[7][1]

A book about her life and achievement, Mighty Moe: The True Story of a Thirteen-Year-Old Women's Running Revolutionary, was released on October 15, 2019.[7]

Notes

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  1. ^ The Association of Road Racing Statisticians notes her official time as 3:15:22.8[3][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Giddens, David (10 January 2017). "How a 13-year-old Canadian girl ran the world's fastest marathon". CBC Sports. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  2. ^ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. p. 653. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  3. ^ "Marathon List for 1967". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  4. ^ "World Marathon Rankings for 1967". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  5. ^ "World Best Progressions- Road". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Sutcliffe, Mark (November 2009). "The Pioneer". iRun. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Loudin, Amanda (May 4, 2018). "The Marathon World Record Holder the World Forgot". Outside. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  8. ^ "Books By Hal Higdon: Marathon: The Ultimate Training and Racing Guide". www.halhigdon.com. Archived from the original on 2000-08-16.
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Records
Preceded by Women's Marathon World Record Holder
May 6, 1967 – September 16, 1967
Succeeded by