Adrienne Beames

Who is Adrienne Beames?

Adrienne Beames is an Australian long-distance runner frequently credited as the first woman to break the 3-hour barrier in the marathon. On 31 August 1971, Beames ran a 2:46:30 in Werribee, Victoria, Australia, shattering the previous women’s world best of 3:01:42 set three months earlier by US-American Beth Bonner at the AAU Eastern Regional Championships in Philadelphia. According to some sources, this mark stood until 27 October 1974 when Chantal Langlacé ran 2:46:24 in Neuf-Brisach, France.

Some sources question the validity of Beames’ run and indicate that it was Bonner who actually first broke three hours with a 2:55:22 at the New York City Marathon on 19 September 1971. In the early 1970s, women's marathoning was met with deep hostility; the 1500 meters was the longest track event officially recognized for women. When Beames' attempts to officially enter a marathon were thwarted, she and her coach, Fred Warwick, organized an invitational event to be run over a certified course in Werribee. Despite Warwick's request, the now defunct Victorian Women's Amateur Athletic Association refused to time the event. Dismissed by the press as a "time trial", Beames performance was not officially verified or recognized. The International Association of Athletics Federations, the international governing body for the sport of athletics, does not recognize the mark in their progression for the marathon world best.