 Winning a high school track race in 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Julie Ann Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1955-02-04)February 4, 1955 (age 71) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 108 lb (49 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 800m--2:00.2 1500m--4:06.4, Mile--4:30.23, 3000m--8:58.27, 5000m--15:39.5, cross-country-(No time), marathon--2:26:24[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Adidas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Bill Dellinger 1983-85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Julie Ann Brown (born February 4, 1955)[2] is a retireddistance runner. She won theIAAF World Cross Country Championship in1975 and represented the United States in the1984 Summer Olympics in thewomen's marathon.[3]
Brown set the American women's marathon record at theNike OTC Marathon in 1978.[4]
Brown concentrated on track and cross-country running prior to the Olympic trials but a victory in the Avon Women's Marathon in 1983 convinced her that she could qualify for the Olympic marathon team. She ran a conservative race staying in the pack until the midway point and broke away finishing second, 37 seconds behind the Olympic trials winner,Joan Benoit Samuelson.[5] She broke the10,000 metres world record setting a time of 35:00.4 minutes in 1975.[6]
After her track career, Brown received herJ.D. fromWestern State University and, joined a law firm as an attorney. In 1995 Brown, opened a law practice in San Diego, CA[7]
Brown was born inBillings, Montana,[2] and competed in a variety of distance events winning several state championships while attendingBillings Senior High School.[7][8][9] She competed in the 880-yard run winning the state championship for three years in a row starting in 1970. She still holds the All-State record with an 880-yard time of 2:11.0.[7] She also won two 440-yard run championships and in her senior year, she was statecross-country champion as well.[7]
Brown started at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles before switching toCalifornia State University, Northridge.[10] As a college athlete she wonAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championships in the800 meters, 1500 meters, 3000 meters, and cross-country. Brown recalls how her UCLA cross country coach mistreated her and because of the environment at UCLA she decided to transfer toCSUN.[5] She also wonAmateur Athletic Union national titles in the1500 meters, 3000 meters, cross-country, and marathon, as well as winningThe Athletics Congress national titles in3000 meters, cross-country, and marathon.[7]
Julie Brown ended her running career in 1985 as a 13-time national champion and 20-timeTeam USA member either in track and cross country.[11]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing | ||||||
| 1975 | USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | White Plains, New York, United States | 1st | 1500 meters | ||
| 1976 | USA Marathon Championships | Culver City, California, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:45:33 | |
| 1978 | USA Cross Country Championships | Memphis, Tennessee, United States | 1st | 5 km | 16:32 | |
| 1979 | USA Indoor Track and Field Championships | New York,New York, United States | 1st | Two Miles | 9:46.1 | |
| USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | Walnut, California, United States | 3rd | 1500 meters | 4:09.4 | ||
| 3rd | 3000 meters | 8:58.3 | ||||
| 1981 | USA Cross Country Championships | Burbank, California, United States | 1st | 5 km | 15:49 | |
| 1982 | USA Road Running Championships25 km | Ventura, California, United States | 1st | 25 km | 1:27:53 | |
| 1983 | USA Marathon Championships | Los Angeles, California, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:26:26 | |
| 1984 | USA Olympic Trials Track and Field Championships | Los Angeles, California, United States | 1st | 5000 meters | 15:39.50 | |
| 2nd | Marathon | 2:31:41 | ||||
[11]Brown placed 8th at 1985New York Marathon in 2:37:53 and 2nd at 1982New York Marathon in 2:28:33. Brown won 1981Dallas Marathon in 2:33:40.
Brown placed 27th at1974 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Senior women's race in 13:34.8.
Brown won anIAAF World Cross Country Championship in1975 in 13:42; the first American woman to do so.[2][12] She won the race in a time of 13:42, five seconds ahead ofBronisława Ludwichowska from Poland.[13]
At the1979 Pan American Games, Brown won three silver medals,[14] taking second place in the 800 meters, 1500 meters, and 3000 meters.[15][16][17]
After graduating fromCSUN, Brown moved toSan Diego to train for the1980 Olympics.[5]
Brown qualified for the1980 Summer Olympics in the 800 meters and 1500 meters but did not compete due to theboycott of the Olympics.[18] She was one of 461 athletes to receive aCongressional Gold Medal instead.[19]
She entered the marathon at the inaugural1983 World Championships in Athletics, but failed to finish the competition.[20]
Brown was sponsored by Adidas who set her up with coachBill Dellinger and moved her from California toEugene, Oregon in 1983 so she could focus on the marathon distance.[21][5]
Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to have run the entireBoston Marathon, sculpted three 12-inch bronze figurines of a running pony-tailed girl that were given as trophies toJoan Benoit Samuelson, Julie Brown, andJulie Isphording, the top three women marathoners at the US Olympic trials in 1984.[22][23] Julie Brown trained onPresident Reagan'sSanta Barbara, California ranch prior to 1984 Olympic Games to adjust to the heat and humidity of 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.[5] Brown did compete inthe 1984 Olympics in the marathon, placing 36th.
Brown was later sponsored byChampion products; Brown was featured in magazines in an international ad forVaseline -Sponsored Athletes in the 1980s only made six figures, so Julie Brown went to law school at night to pursue a career.[5]
In July 2008,President Carter gave the 1980Team USA athletes CongressionalCongressional Gold Medal.[5][24][25][26]
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