When Rozie Ruiz crossed the finish line with a dazzling time of 2:31:56, she looked well rested for someone who had just run a marathon. That’s because she hadn’t. It was later determined that Ms. Ruiz, who was stripped of her 1980 victory eight days after the race, jumped in the race about a mile away from the finish line.
Suspicion surrounded her win almost immediately. She couldn’t answer basic questions about the race during a conversation with men’s champion Bill Rodgers, and she didn't appear particularly tired.
Then there was the issue of her time. At that point, it was the fastest time ever for a woman in the marathon, and significantly shorter than her qualifying time at the New York Marathon. She was later stripped of that time after it was revealed she had not run all of that race, either.
Adding to the suspicion, no other runners recalled seeing her, including the women who had actually finished first and second. Each had been told at various points in the race that they were in first or second place, and would have noticed being passed by Ruiz. When officials examined photographs and video from the race, Ruiz wasn't shown until the last mile.
Ruiz, 26 at the time of the race, was stripped of her title, and was arrested the following year for stealing $60,000 from her Manhattan employer.
