Liane Winter
Encyclopedia
Liane Winter is a former West German
long-distance
runner
, who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations
as having set a world best at the Boston Marathon
on April 21, 1975 with a time of 2:42:24. Winter, the first woman from outside the United States
to win Boston, only briefly held the mark as her countrywoman, Christa Vahlensieck
, turned in a 2:40:16 performance in Dülmen
twelve days later. Winter's 1975 performance at Boston was aided by a "25-mile-an-hour tailwind", after which she asked for a beer
through her translator. At the 1976 Boston Marathon, she finished in tenth place.
Running as much as 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) on a Saturday or Sunday, Winter trained by Ernst van Aaken
's method of building endurance. On May 5, 1974 in Wolfsburg
, West Germany
, Winter ran a marathon in 2:57:44.4 to set the fastest mark for German women. In an event organized by van Aaken, she was one of 45 women from seven nations to compete for the first women's world marathon title, the Women's International Championship in Waldniel, West Germany on September 22, 1974. Christa Vahlensieck
and Chantal Langlacé
caught up to her after she took an early lead on the four-lap course, however, Winter crossed the finish line first in a time of 2:50:31.4 to earn a European record and lowered the national mark she set a little over four months earlier.
Winter also set the German road mark in the 10,000 metres with a 37:16 in Bruges
, Belgium
in 1977. She won the Budapest Marathon
in 1971, the Maryland Marathon in 1975, and the Schwarzwald Marathon three consecutive times from 1976 to 1978.
Winter is from Wolfsburg. In 1975 she was an accountant
at a Volkswagen
factory.
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
long-distance
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
as having set a world best at the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
on April 21, 1975 with a time of 2:42:24. Winter, the first woman from outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to win Boston, only briefly held the mark as her countrywoman, Christa Vahlensieck
Christa Vahlensieck
Christa Vahlensieck is a former German long distance runner and pionier in the marathon for women....
, turned in a 2:40:16 performance in Dülmen
Dülmen
Dülmen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Dülmen is situated in the south part of the Münsterland area, between the Lippe river to the south, the Baumberge hills to the north and the Ems river to the east...
twelve days later. Winter's 1975 performance at Boston was aided by a "25-mile-an-hour tailwind", after which she asked for a beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
through her translator. At the 1976 Boston Marathon, she finished in tenth place.
Running as much as 60 kilometers (37.2 miles) on a Saturday or Sunday, Winter trained by Ernst van Aaken
Ernst van Aaken
Ernst van Aaken was a German sports physician and athletics trainer.Van Aaken became known as the "Running Doctor" and the founder of the training method called the Waldnieler Dauerlauf . He is generally recognized as the founder of the long slow distance method of endurance training...
's method of building endurance. On May 5, 1974 in Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, Winter ran a marathon in 2:57:44.4 to set the fastest mark for German women. In an event organized by van Aaken, she was one of 45 women from seven nations to compete for the first women's world marathon title, the Women's International Championship in Waldniel, West Germany on September 22, 1974. Christa Vahlensieck
Christa Vahlensieck
Christa Vahlensieck is a former German long distance runner and pionier in the marathon for women....
and Chantal Langlacé
Chantal Langlacé
Chantal Langlacé is a former French long-distance runner who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations as having set a world best in the marathon on two different occasions...
caught up to her after she took an early lead on the four-lap course, however, Winter crossed the finish line first in a time of 2:50:31.4 to earn a European record and lowered the national mark she set a little over four months earlier.
Winter also set the German road mark in the 10,000 metres with a 37:16 in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in 1977. She won the Budapest Marathon
Budapest Marathon
The Budapest Marathon is an annual marathon and sport event hosted by the city of Budapest, Hungary since 1961. It is normally held at the beginning of October or the end of September. The Budapest Sport Iroda manages the event....
in 1971, the Maryland Marathon in 1975, and the Schwarzwald Marathon three consecutive times from 1976 to 1978.
Winter is from Wolfsburg. In 1975 she was an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
at a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
factory.