January 17, 2025, 4:02 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The Portuguese athlete Rosa Mota, born in Porto in 1958, is one of the most important marathon runners in the world. With 14 victories in 21 marathon starts and titles at the European, World, and Olympic Championships, she set new standards in long-distance running. And she did it all by the age of 66!
Rosa Mota is a truly great athlete. Born in Portugal, she won the first women’s marathon in Europe in Athens in 1982 – followed by other major medals. For example, the bronze medal in the first Olympic marathon for women in 1984.1 Or her victories in major city marathons such as Boston, London, and Chicago. The athlete is now 66 years old and is still pursuing her passion – with the same ambition as back then: she set a new record in the 10-kilometer run in the over-65 category.
Overview
Rosa Mota Beats Her Own World Record
Every year, the 10-kilometer New Year’s Eve run takes place in Madrid – as it did a few weeks ago. One of the participants was 66-year-old Rosa Mota. But despite her age, the Portuguese woman doesn’t just run this race for fun but also with a competitive spirit. At least that is what her new best time of 38 minutes and 23 seconds for the 10-kilometer course suggests, as reported by The Running Week, among others. She thus sets a new world record for women in the over 65 age group – and even beats her previous record with a time of 38 minutes and 45 seconds. This makes her the first and only woman over 65 to break the 40-minute mark for 10 kilometers.
More World Records
But this is not Rosa Mota’s only world record. She currently holds three more in the W65 category (women aged 65 and over). These include:
- Half marathon with a time of one hour, 25 minutes, and 52 seconds.
- 15-kilometer run with a time of one hour and 37 seconds
- 20-kilometer run with a time of one hour, 21 minutes, and 17 seconds.
The Start of an Extraordinary Career
Her success is no accident. Rosa Mota started her running career as a cross-country runner before switching to marathon running in the early 1980s. She made history in her very first international appearance in the women’s marathon at the 1982 European Championships in Athens: Mota won the gold medal and, thus, the first women’s marathon at the European Championships.
She also overcame personal hurdles. When training on the streets of Porto, she had to face ridicule from male spectators at the start of her run. However, these obstacles could not deter her from her goals.
Success at the 1984 Olympic Games
The women’s marathon only became an Olympic event in Los Angeles in 1984, and Rosa Mota secured a medal right at this premiere. She finished third behind the American Joan Benoit and the Norwegian Grete Waitz in 2:26:57 hours and took bronze – a milestone for women’s running and her career.2
Gold in Seoul 1988: A Triumph with Obstacles
Four years later, at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Rosa Mota achieved her greatest success: she won gold in the marathon with a time of 2:25:40 hours and a 13-second lead. However, due to a conflict with the Portuguese Athletics Federation, she was initially not allowed to take part. It was only after the intervention of the then Portuguese President Mário Soares that she was allowed to compete – and made history as Portugal’s first female Olympic champion.
Unstoppable in Major City Marathons
Mota also dominated the most important city marathons worldwide. She triumphed in:
- Chicago (1983, 1984)
- Rotterdam (1983)
- Tokyo (1986)
- Boston (1987, 1988, 1990)
- Osaka (1990)
- London (1991)
Her record: 14 victories in 21 marathon starts. She only failed to finish three races; her worst placing in a completed race was fourth.
Rosa Mota has also received several awards for her extraordinary sporting achievements. In 1998, she received the Abebe Bikila Award for her contributions to the development of long-distance training. In 2000, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) honored her with the Olympic Order in Silver.
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An Icon of the Marathon Sport
With her unique talent, discipline, and fighting spirit, Rosa Mota revolutionized marathon running for women. She will be remembered as the only female runner (as of 2017) to be European, world, and Olympic champion in the marathon at the same time – an achievement that secures her place in sporting history.