Bowdoin, Nike Honor Joan Benoit Samuelson with Rededication of Magee Track
Posted Monday, 21 November, 2005
When runner Libby Barney was a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine, the name that stood out among all the legendary athletes in her sport was Joan Benoit Samuelson.
Benoit Samuelson - winner of the 1984 inaugural women's Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles and two-time winner of the Boston Marathon - had graduated from Bowdoin in 1979. So for Barney, Samuelson was - and is - more than just a hero: "She is our hero. Bowdoin's own."
Barney met up once again with her hero Saturday, October 15, 2005, when Bowdoin College rededicated its outdoor track in honor of Benoit Samuelson during Homecoming Weekend.
The outdoor track, named for legendary Bowdoin track and field director John Joseph Magee, was rededicated through the generosity of Nike, Inc., whose $300,000 gift funded recent upgrades to the facility.
"I'm proud to be here today, on behalf of Nike, to help rededicate and celebrate Bowdoin's track and field in honor of Joan Benoit Samuelson," said Nike Brand President Mark Parker at the rededication ceremony. "Joan has been a part of the Nike family for more than 25 years. To be able to celebrate her running legacy with a world-class track and field is truly the ultimate expression of Nike's appreciation for her accomplishments. Joan's enduring inspiration is unparalleled by any other female distance runner, and it is Nike's hope that this new track will inspire many young athletes in the future to compete or simply to enjoy the benefits of a physically active lifestyle."
In her remarks during the ceremony, a "humbled and honored" Benoit Samuelson acknowledged the Magee family, and many Olympic athletes, including Steve Prefontaine, who had trained on the Magee track.
Bowdoin President Barry Mills marveled that Samuelson's running career all began simply as a way for "Joanie the skier" to recover from a broken leg.
"But running is only part of Joanie's story," Mills noted at the rededication. "She is a devoted wife and mother. A motivational speaker. A community organizer and volunteer. A coach and commentator. A constant friend of this College, and a role model and hero for women athletes at the top of their game, as well as for young girls taking the field for the first time. At Bowdoin, we often claim to produce leaders in all walks of life. While Joanie doesn't do much 'walking,' she is certainly counted among the leaders of her generation."
Following the rededication ceremony and the Bowdoin football team's win against Hamilton College, Benoit Samuelson led a group of runners around the track.
Nike's gift to Bowdoin for the track enhancement was part of the Bowerman Track Renovation Program, a 10-year, $2 million program dedicated to refurbishing or constructing running tracks around the world; and NikeGO, Nike's signature U.S. community affairs initiative and the company's long-term commitment to getting kids more physically active.
The material for the pole vault, steeple chase, long jump and high jump equipment incorporate Nike Grind material made from approximately 4,000 recycled athletic shoes as part of the company's Reuse-A-Shoe Program. Reuse-A-Shoe is an integral part of NikeGO, the company's long-term commitment to get kids active and give them the means to do it.
The most recognizable athlete in Bowdoin College's history, Joan Benoit Samuelson is one of the most decorated runners in the world. A two-time champion at the Boston Marathon (setting a world best, 2:22:43, in 1983), she was presented with the Jesse Owens Award in 1984, and in 1985, earned the Sullivan Award as the top U.S. amateur athlete. She will forever be remembered for her dominating gold medal performance in the inaugural women's marathon at the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. She has been inducted into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of America National Hall of Fame, the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, the International Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame, the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor, and, most recently, the USATF National Track and Field Hall of Fame. A native of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Joan Benoit Samuelson now resides in Freeport with her husband, Scott Samuelson (Bowdoin Class of 1980), and their two children.
Nike, Inc., based in Beaverton, Ore., is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Throughout its 30-year history, Nike has been a consistent and strong supporter of women's sports, including its support of Joan Benoit Samuelson in her quest to become the first women's Olympic Marathon gold medalist. Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program collects, slices, and grinds up old and unusable athletic shoes to make Nike Grind material, which is then used in a variety of sports surfaces, called NikeGO Places. Since its inception in 1993, Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program has recycled more than 16 million pairs of shoes, and has donated more than 170 NikeGO Places in communities around the world.
Facebook 
Twitter
i