Anni Pede-Erdkamp (14 January 1940 – 9 October 2025) was aWest German long-distance runner who was recognized by theInternational Association of Athletics Federations as having set a world best in themarathon on 16 September 1967, with a time of 3:07:27 inWaldniel,West Germany.[1][nb 1]
Pede and Monika Boers were asked byErnst van Aaken, an early proponent of women's running, to participate in a race organized by his running club.[5] According to German sports historianKarl Lennartz, journalists skeptical of 13-year-oldMaureen Wilton's recent world best inToronto, Canada asked van Aaken if women and teenagers were capable of such a performance.[5] Mocked and derided for claiming that faster times were indeed possible, van Aaken chose Pede, a middle-distance runner and mother of two, and Boers, a 19-year-old from the Netherlands, to prove himself correct.[5][nb 2] Although theGerman Athletic Association (Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband) did not yet officially permit women to run, race officials did allow the two women to start 30 meters behind the men.[5] Pede's mark was good enough for third overall and Boers finished in 3:19:36.3.[5][nb 3]
Pede-Erdkamp died on 9 October 2025, at the age of 85.[7]
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's Marathon World Record Holder 16 September 1967 – 28 February 1970 | Succeeded by |
