22-Sep-1974 – Women’s International Marathon – 2:50:31.4 – EB Lydiard Road Runner
Date of birth: 24-Jun-1942 (died 17-Jan-2021 – aged 78)
Nationality: West German (at the time)
Women-Only World Record duration: 1 year, 7 months, 24 days
The athlete:
Another protege of Dr Ernst van Aaken was Liane Winter, who had already run several marathon races by the time she lined up for the 1974 Women’s International Marathon organised by van Aaken and held on the same looped course as the previous year.
The event lived up to its name, hosting several future world record holders including Chantal Laglacé, Jacqueline Hansen, and Christa Vahlensieck. Not to forget Anni Pede-Erdkamp who held set the outright women’s marathon world record back in 1967.
Record show it was a close race, with Winter just edging out Laglacé to finish first. It was just the beginning for the German athlete, the next year seeing her win the prestigious Boston Marathon in what would have been the outright women’s marathon world record had the course not been historically too steep for record eligibility.
The shoes:
Thankfully we have actual footage from the race itself, showing clearly that Winter was wearing the EB Lydiard Road Runner training shoe. Contemporary reviews talked about its cushioning and comfort, ideal for longer runs.
It was the joint effort of German manufacturer Brütting and famed coach Arthur Lydiard. Pairs of EB Lydiard shoes were distributed to competitors in the lead up to the 1974 Women’s International Championship Marathon, which may have helped to explain why so many ran in both the Road Runner as well as the Marathon racing flat.
Winter would switch to the Marathon the next year, although fellow German distance legend Christa Vahlensieck would use the Road Runner herself when setting the outright women’s marathon world record in 1975 before also switching to the Marathon model.
References:
The Women’s Marathon Movement by Jacqueline Hansen
Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer
https://aims-worldrunning.org/articles/1592-liane-winter-remembered.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liane_Winter
http://archive.boston.com/marathon/history/1975.shtml
https://germanroadraces.de/?p=167723
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_van_Aaken
https://more.arrs.run/runner/12353
https://www.ebay.com/str/runningmagazinesbooksmemorabilia
https://www.thedeffest.com/vintage-ads/arthur-lydiard-by-eb-brutting-vintage-sneaker-ad
https://lifetimegear.de/2016/10/26/brutting-diamond-brand-shooting-40-years-old-vintage-sneakers/
https://www.runresearchjunkie.com/review-the-lydiard-eb-brutting-road-runner/