Rosie Ruiz
Encyclopedia
Rosie Ruiz Vivas is a Cuban American
who in 1980 was initially declared the first place winner in the female category for the 84th Boston Marathon
only to have her title later stripped after it was discovered that she had not run the entire course.
in the early 1970s, eventually finding work with Metal Traders, a commodities firm. In 1979, she qualified for the New York City Marathon
and was credited with a time of 2:56:29, the 11th woman overall—enough to qualify her for the Boston Marathon.
However, suspicions mounted about Ruiz almost from the beginning. Men's winner Bill Rodgers
, who had just won his third straight Boston Marathon, noticed that Ruiz couldn't seem to recall many things that most runners know by heart, such as intervals and splits. Other observers noticed that Ruiz wasn't panting or coated in sweat, and her thighs were much flabbier than would be expected for a world-class runner. She later released stress-test results showing her resting heart rate as 76; most female marathoners have a resting heart rate in the 50s or lower.
In addition, her time of 2:31:56 was an unusual improvement, more than 25 minutes ahead of her reported time in the New York City Marathon
six months earlier. When asked by a reporter why she didn't seem fatigued after the grueling race, she said, "I got up with a lot of energy this morning." Some female competitors thought it was odd that, when asked what she had noticed about Wellesley
while running through it, she did not mention the students of Wellesley College, who traditionally loudly cheer the first women runners as they pass the campus.
Most seriously, no one could recall seeing her. Jacqueline Gareau
was told that she was leading the race with 18 miles to go, while Patti Lyons
was told she was second at the 17-mile mark; Ruiz couldn't have passed either of them without being seen. Several spotters at checkpoints throughout the course didn't remember seeing her in the first group of women. She also didn't appear in any pictures or video footage.
The most damning evidence against Ruiz surfaced when two Harvard
students, John Faulkner and Sola Mahoney, recalled seeing Ruiz burst out of a crowd of spectators on Commonwealth Avenue
, half a mile from the finish. Not long after that, freelance photographer Susan Morrow reported meeting her on the subway
during the New York Marathon and accompanying her from the subway to the race. She lost touch with Ruiz after that, but came forward when the news of Ruiz's dubious Boston win broke. According to Morrow, she met Ruiz on the subway and together they walked a distance to the finishing area, where Ruiz identified herself as an injured runner. She was escorted to a first aid station and volunteers marked her down as having completed the marathon, thus qualifying her for the Boston Marathon. New York Marathon officials launched an investigation of their own, and couldn't find any sign of Ruiz near the finish line. Based on this and other evidence, New York Marathon director Fred Lebow
disqualified Ruiz from the 1979 race, saying she could not possibly have run the entire course.
Later that week, the Boston Athletic Association disqualified Ruiz. While Lebow's action seemed to have automatically disqualified Ruiz from Boston as well, Boston officials wanted to do their own investigation before taking action. Gareau was declared the women's winner, with a time of 2:34:28--at the time, the fastest ever recorded by a woman in the event's history. Lyons was moved up to second; her time of 2:35:08 was the fastest ever recorded for an American woman in a marathon.
Gareau was awarded a winner's medal at a press conference over a week after the marathon, after jogging 20 yards and breaking a mock finish-line tape. Her medal was bigger than the one that Ruiz had originally received, equal in size to the larger men's medal. Since the 1980 race, women and men have been awarded medals equal in size. In 2005
, Gareau served as Grand Marshal of the Boston Marathon, and in a special ceremony was allowed to recreate her finish and break the tape.
RFID system that monitors electronically when runners arrive at various checkpoints on the course. These techniques have been used to identify other would-be cheaters, notably "Jean's Marines", a group of charity runners who were caught cutting the course during the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon
.
In 1982, Ruiz was arrested for embezzling $60,000 from a real estate company where she worked. She then moved back to southern Florida, only to be arrested for her involvement in a cocaine deal. At last report, she was working in West Palm Beach as an account representative. To this day, she still maintains that she ran the entire 1980 Boston Marathon.
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
who in 1980 was initially declared the first place winner in the female category for the 84th Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
only to have her title later stripped after it was discovered that she had not run the entire course.
Background
Ruiz was born in Cuba and moved to Miami with her family in 1962. She moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the early 1970s, eventually finding work with Metal Traders, a commodities firm. In 1979, she qualified for the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
and was credited with a time of 2:56:29, the 11th woman overall—enough to qualify her for the Boston Marathon.
Boston Marathon
On April 21, 1980, Ruiz appeared to win the Boston Marathon's female category with a time of 2:31:56. Her time would have been the fastest female time in Boston Marathon history as well as the third-fastest female time ever recorded in any marathon.However, suspicions mounted about Ruiz almost from the beginning. Men's winner Bill Rodgers
Bill Rodgers (athlete)
William "Bill" Henry Rodgers is an American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his victories in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in the late 1970s...
, who had just won his third straight Boston Marathon, noticed that Ruiz couldn't seem to recall many things that most runners know by heart, such as intervals and splits. Other observers noticed that Ruiz wasn't panting or coated in sweat, and her thighs were much flabbier than would be expected for a world-class runner. She later released stress-test results showing her resting heart rate as 76; most female marathoners have a resting heart rate in the 50s or lower.
In addition, her time of 2:31:56 was an unusual improvement, more than 25 minutes ahead of her reported time in the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
six months earlier. When asked by a reporter why she didn't seem fatigued after the grueling race, she said, "I got up with a lot of energy this morning." Some female competitors thought it was odd that, when asked what she had noticed about Wellesley
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
while running through it, she did not mention the students of Wellesley College, who traditionally loudly cheer the first women runners as they pass the campus.
Most seriously, no one could recall seeing her. Jacqueline Gareau
Jacqueline Gareau
Jacqueline Gareau is a Canadian runner who won the Boston Marathon on April 21, 1980. Gareau led the women's field for most of the race, only to find another runner, Rosie Ruiz, wearing the traditional victor's laurels when she crossed the finish line...
was told that she was leading the race with 18 miles to go, while Patti Lyons
Patti Catalano
Patti Catalano Dillon is a former long-distance runner from the United States who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations as having set world bests in the half marathon, 30 kilometers, and 20 kilometers...
was told she was second at the 17-mile mark; Ruiz couldn't have passed either of them without being seen. Several spotters at checkpoints throughout the course didn't remember seeing her in the first group of women. She also didn't appear in any pictures or video footage.
The most damning evidence against Ruiz surfaced when two Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
students, John Faulkner and Sola Mahoney, recalled seeing Ruiz burst out of a crowd of spectators on Commonwealth Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
Commonwealth Avenue is a major street in the cities of Boston and Newton, Massachusetts. It begins at the western edge of the Public Garden, and continues west through the neighborhoods of the Back Bay, Kenmore Square, Allston, Brighton and Chestnut Hill...
, half a mile from the finish. Not long after that, freelance photographer Susan Morrow reported meeting her on the subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
during the New York Marathon and accompanying her from the subway to the race. She lost touch with Ruiz after that, but came forward when the news of Ruiz's dubious Boston win broke. According to Morrow, she met Ruiz on the subway and together they walked a distance to the finishing area, where Ruiz identified herself as an injured runner. She was escorted to a first aid station and volunteers marked her down as having completed the marathon, thus qualifying her for the Boston Marathon. New York Marathon officials launched an investigation of their own, and couldn't find any sign of Ruiz near the finish line. Based on this and other evidence, New York Marathon director Fred Lebow
Fred Lebow
Fred Lebow , who was born Fischel Lebowitz, was an avid runner and founder of the New York City Marathon. Born in Arad, Romania, he presided over the transformation of the race from one with 55 finishers in 1970 to one of the largest marathons in the world with over 43,660 finishers in 2009...
disqualified Ruiz from the 1979 race, saying she could not possibly have run the entire course.
Later that week, the Boston Athletic Association disqualified Ruiz. While Lebow's action seemed to have automatically disqualified Ruiz from Boston as well, Boston officials wanted to do their own investigation before taking action. Gareau was declared the women's winner, with a time of 2:34:28--at the time, the fastest ever recorded by a woman in the event's history. Lyons was moved up to second; her time of 2:35:08 was the fastest ever recorded for an American woman in a marathon.
Gareau was awarded a winner's medal at a press conference over a week after the marathon, after jogging 20 yards and breaking a mock finish-line tape. Her medal was bigger than the one that Ruiz had originally received, equal in size to the larger men's medal. Since the 1980 race, women and men have been awarded medals equal in size. In 2005
2005 in sports
2005 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Bode Miller ** Women's overall season champion: Anja Pärson -American football:...
, Gareau served as Grand Marshal of the Boston Marathon, and in a special ceremony was allowed to recreate her finish and break the tape.
Aftermath
As a result of the scandal, the Boston Marathon and several other races instituted a number of safeguards against cheating that are still used today. These include extensive video surveillance and the transponder timingTransponder timing
Transponder timing is a technique for measuring performance in sport events. A transponder working on a radio-frequency identification basis is attached to the athlete and emits a unique code that is detected by radio receivers located at the strategic points in an event.Prior to the use of this...
RFID system that monitors electronically when runners arrive at various checkpoints on the course. These techniques have been used to identify other would-be cheaters, notably "Jean's Marines", a group of charity runners who were caught cutting the course during the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon
Marine Corps Marathon
The Marine Corps Marathon is an annual marathon held in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC. The mission of the MCM is to promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill and showcase the organizational skills of the United States Marine Corps....
.
In 1982, Ruiz was arrested for embezzling $60,000 from a real estate company where she worked. She then moved back to southern Florida, only to be arrested for her involvement in a cocaine deal. At last report, she was working in West Palm Beach as an account representative. To this day, she still maintains that she ran the entire 1980 Boston Marathon.