Rosie fooled them all, briefly, in Boston win

By now, you've all heard the story of Lance Armstrong, how he cheated for years to become the best cyclist of his time before - faced with overwhelming evidence - he admitted what he did.

But have you heard of Rosie Ruiz? Perhaps you have. Perhaps not. Either way, her story is worth retelling. Even in the honorable world of running, cheating goes on.

Rosie's story goes like this:

The 26-year-old from New York ran the Boston Marathon on April 21, 1980. She was unheard of, never mentioned, not considered a threat to win by anyone. The favorites were Canadian Jacqueline Gareau and American Patti Lyons.

Yet, the first woman to arrive at the finish was Ruiz, covering the 26.2 mile course that includes the famous Heartbreak Hill, in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 56 seconds, which at the time was the third-fastest marathon run by a woman. An unknown had won the granddaddy of all marathons. Unbelievable!

The celebrations began. Ruiz was crowned with the wreath and announced the winner. She received accolades on the podium. Media clamored to know who she was and how she did it. She was proclaimed the "mystery woman winner" who gave a "fantastic performance," yet somehow was missed at all the checkpoints.

Rosie, looking fresh and happy while clutching a silver trophy, smiled during interviews. She didn't have any training secrets to share. Nothing about how or when she charged past Gareau or Lyons on the course. Nothing about this being her dream she worked so hard for all her life.

When asked how she knocked 25 minutes off her previous best, a 2:56 in New York six months earlier, she merely said, "I don't know."

Asked if she ran intervals, a track workout designed to improve speed, she said, "I'm not sure what intervals are. What are they?"

When asked if she had a coach, she said "No. I advise myself."

Hmmm ... the rumbling and doubts started up. Gareau was the leader and didn't recall Ruiz passing her or ever even seeing her. Same for Lyons. Now that they thought about it, no one on the course saw her, either. In reviewing pictures and videos of the leaders, Ruiz is never in sight - not until the final half mile.

Then, a woman wearing a yellow shirt with bib number W50 and white shorts, suddenly appeared, running slowly toward the finish, appearing to be in great pain and agony, staggering and stumbling as she crosses the line, ready to collapse, as police escorts held her up.

Later, some people said they recalled Ruiz coming out of the crowd of spectators, and jumping into the race near the finish line.

Some say she might have gotten away with it - except she won.

"It's believed that Ruiz intended to jump into the middle of the pack of runners but miscalculated when she joined the marathon one mile from the end, not realizing she was ahead of the other 448 female competitors," according to This Day in History.

Bill Rodgers, who won the men's race of the 1980 Boston Marathon, his fourth straight win there, said this: "She had no idea she was going to win. Just looking at her and talking to her, she was overwhelmed. It wasn't someone who planned to win."

Ruiz was eventually disqualified, though race officials never really did determine how she pulled it off. And Rosie wasn't talking. Unlike Lance, Ruiz has never admitted to cheating. She maintains she ran the entire course.

"I ran the race," she said.

Turns out, that 2:56 she ran at New York to qualify for Boston was completed with the aid of the subway - a photographer recalled meeting Ruiz on the subway that day and walking with her to the finish line area of the race. Ruiz apparently wandered onto the course near the finish, said she was injured, and was helped to a medical tent. Later, following an investigation, she was disqualified there, too.

Sadly, the name of Rosie Ruiz is one of the most famous associated with the grand Boston Marathon.

Two years after her victory, she served jail time and received probation in connection to an embezzlement case, and a year after that, was arrested selling cocaine to undercover agents in Florida and received probation. She was last said to be living in Florida. She never ran another race.

Gareau, robbed of the glory that comes once-in-a-lifetime with winning the Boston Marathon, was honored three days after the race during a ceremony staged at the finish line.

Her time, the real winning time, was 2:34:28.

Bill Buley is the city editor of the Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, ext. 2016.