The 1983 IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships was the inaugural edition of the annual international road running competition organised by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). The competition was hosted by the United States on December 3, 1983 in San Diego, California and featured one race only: a 10k run for women. There were individual and team awards available, with the national team rankings being decided by the combined score of a team's three best athletes. Countries with fewer than three finishers were not ranked.IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
Wendy Sly of Great Britain was the winner of the race in a time of 32:23 minutes. She was followed by two Americans, Betty Springs and Lesley Welch. The United States won the team competition, with the third American runner Ellen Hart Peña also placing in the top ten. Canada, led by fourth-placer Nancy Tinari, was second in the team competition and Monica Joyce led the Irish women to the team bronze medal. A total of 66 women from 18 countries entered the race and 62 finished the distance. Nine nations entered more than three athletes and eight of these reached the team rankings with three finishing athletes (England being the exception). The United States had the largest contingent, with 16 entrants.1983 IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 2018-02-09. The Soviet Union's Raisa Sadreydinova was a prominent entrant, having set a 10,000 metres world record earlier that year, but she failed to finish.
The competition proved a development in global level competitions for women in long-distance running: the launch of this race was a push by the IAAF to the International Olympic Committee to gain Olympic recognition of this distance for women.Women runners send a message to the IOC. Santa Cruz Sentinel (1983-12-05). Retrieved 2018-02-09. A women's race was subsequently added for the 10,000 metres at the Olympics in 1988, following on from the first Olympic marathon for women in 1984.Athletics Women's 10,000 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
Results Individual RankAthleteCountryTime (m:s) Wendy Sly 32:23 Betty Springs 32:23 Lesley Lehane 32:414 Nancy Tinari 32:575 Dorthe Rasmussen 33:036 Midde Hamrin 33:067 Silvia Ruegger 33:068 Monica Joyce 33:149 Ellen Hart Peña 33:1510 Lisa Martin 33:1911 Debbie Peel 33:2512 Suzanne Girard 33:2513 Anna Marie Malone 33:3814 Alba Milana 33:4015 Carey Edge 33:4716 Jan Merrill 33:5117 Monika Schäfer 33:5118 Carol McLatchie 33:5619 Regina Joyce 33:5720 Lizanne Bussières 33:5821 Jacqueline Gareau 33:5822 Michele Bush 34:0123 Glenys Quick 34:0524 Francine Peeters 34:0725 Lisa Brady 34:1126 Raisa Smekhnova 34:1227 Christina Mai 34:1328 Sara Harnett 34:1829 Mary Knisely 34:1930 Elly van Hulst 34:3131 Magda Ilands 34:3332 Anna-Maria Tweedie 34:3833 Nancy Conz 34:4534 Rhonda Mallinder 34:5435 Rita Marchisio 34:5936 Gabriela Górzyńska 35:0037 Eryn Forbes 35:0738 Nancy Ditz 35:1039 Laura Fogli 35:1541 Elvira Hofmann 35:2342 Winnie Ng 35:2444 Noriko Yamada 35:2745 Patricia English 35:3046 Marica Mrsic 35:3449 Joke van Gerwen 35:4350 Maria Curatolo 35:4951 Melinda Ireland 35:5352 Kimberly Griffin 36:0253 Eefje van Wissen 36:0554 Bonnie Tamis 36:2455 Anna Krol 36:4357 Wilma Rusman 37:0558 Eleonora de Mendonça 37:1859 Ewa Wrzosek 37:3860 Renata Walendziak 37:4061 Susanne Riermeier 37:4362 Yvonne Murray 38:28 — Cynthia Hamilton — Raisa Sadreydinova — Ruth Partridge — Heather Thomson
Team Rank Team Points Betty Springs, Lesley Welch, Ellen Hart Peña 14 , 24 , 42 4 , 74 5 , 83 6 , 85 7 , 88 8 , 132 9 , 150
References