| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Silvia Rosemarie Ruegger |
| Born | (1961-02-23)February 23, 1961 Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | August 23, 2019(2019-08-23) (aged 58) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Long-distance running |
Silvia Ruegger (February 23, 1961 – August 23, 2019) was along-distance runner from Canada who represented her native country at the1984 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles,California, where she finished eighth in the women's marathon.[1] She came first in the 1985Houston Marathon in 2:28:36.[2] She was born inOshawa,Ontario, and grew up just south of the village ofNewtonville, Ontario.[3] She died in August 2019, at the age of 58.[4]
Ruegger was born inOshawa, Ontario in February 1961.[1] She was inspired to run after watching the1976 Summer Olympics inMontreal,[5] and set herself a goal to compete at the1980 Summer Olympics inMoscow.[1] However, Canada was one of the many nations toboycott the games.[6]
At the1984 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles, Ruegger competed in thewomen's marathon,[7] where she finished in eighth place,[8] setting a new national record in the process.[1] The following year, she won the 1985Houston Marathon, setting another national record,[9] one that would stand for 28 years.[10] However, two weeks later, Ruegger was involved in a car accident.[11] Despite this, her career lasted another eleven years, which included winning the 1987Pittsburgh Marathon.[1] She retired from long-distance running just before the1996 Summer Olympics inAtlanta.[1]
After her running career, Reugger set up a national programme, called Start2Finish, to help at-risk young people.[1] In 2017, she was diagnosed withesophageal cancer.[12] She died two years later,[13] at the age of 58.[14]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing Canada | |||||
| 1984 | National Capital Marathon | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 1st | Marathon | 2:30:37 |
| Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States | 8th | Marathon | 2:29:09 | |
| 1985 | Houston Marathon | Houston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:28:36 |
| 1987 | Pittsburgh Marathon | Pittsburgh, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:31:53 |
