Gayle Barron
{{Short description|American marathon runner}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Gayle Barron
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Gayle_Barron.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| headercolor =
| textcolor =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| full_name =
| nickname =
| nationality =
| national_team =
| ethnicity =
| citizenship =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|04|06}}
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| monuments =
| residence =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Athlete
| years_active =
| employer =
| agent =
| height =
| weight =
| spouse =
| life_partner =
| other_interests =
| website =
| module =
| country = United States
| sport = Marathon
| position =
| weight_class =
| weight_class_type =
| rank =
| event =
| event_type =
| universityteam =
| collegeteam =
| league =
| league_type =
| club =
| team =
| turnedpro =
| turnedpro_type =
| partner =
| former_partner =
| coach =
| retired = 1981
| coaching =
| module2 =
| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics =
| paralympics =
| commonwealth =
| highestranking =
| pb =
| show-medals =
| medaltemplates =
| medaltemplates-title =
| module3 =
}}
Gayle Barron (born 6 April 1945) is an American former marathon runner. From 1970 to 1978, Barron placed in the top five in marathons held across the United States and was the winner of the 1978 Boston Marathon. Barron was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Early life and education
On 6 April 1945,{{cite web|title=Runner: Gayle Barron|url=http://more.arrs.run/runner/16877|website=Association of Road Racing Statisticians|access-date=7 March 2018}} Barron was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She went to Druid Hills High School before attending the University of Georgia.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k62ECwAAQBAJ&pg=PA72|title=First Ladies of Running: 22 Inspiring Profiles of the Rebels, Rule Breakers, and Visionaries Who Changed the Sport Forever|last=Burfoot|first=Ambe|publisher=Rodale|year=2016|isbn=978-1609615642|pages=179–80}} Barron graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism.{{cite news|last1=Dalton|first1=Bob|title=Gayle Barron, the First Lady of Peachtree, to speak on Team Spirit|url=http://archive.thecitizen.com/archive/main/archive-990101/sports/sp-03.html|access-date=7 March 2018|work=Fayette Citizen|date=1 January 1999}}
Career
In the 1960s, Barron began her running distance career in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs. She entered her first large race in the 1970 Peachtree Road Race.{{sfn|Burfoot|2016|page=180}} As a co-founder of the Peachtree Road Race,{{Cite magazine|last1=Burns|first1=Rebecca |last2=Warhop|first2=Bill |date=May 2006|title=History Makers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fw8AAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA108 |magazine=Atlanta Magazine|page=108|access-date=17 February 2018}} Barron was the top female finisher at Peachtree each year from 1970 to 1975 except for 1972 when she was beaten by Gillian Valk.{{Cite encyclopedia|last1=Benyo|first1=Richard |last2=Henderson|first2=Joe |title=Peachtree 10K|encyclopedia=Running Encyclopedia |publisher=Human Kinetics|date=2002 |page=264|isbn=0736037349|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kqc1SkRr9UwC&pg=PA264}} Barron also won the first three Peach Bowl Marathons held from 1972 to 1975.{{cite web |title=Atlanta Marathon |url=https://www.arrs.run/HP_AtlMa.htm|website=Association of Road Racing Statisticians |access-date=7 March 2018}}
In 1974, Barron became a professional runner.{{cite news|title=Barron Wins First Race|work=Albuquerque Journal|date=18 April 1978|page=C1}} As a professional athlete, Barron placed in the top three at the Boston, New York and Honolulu marathons from 1975 to 1977. Barron's final win was at the 1978 Boston Marathon{{cite web|title=Gayle Barron|url=http://gshf.org/pdf_files/inductees/track_and_field/gayle_barron.pdf |website=Georgia Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=7 March 2018}} and she continued to run until 1981. After ending her professional running career, Barron began working for an athletic clinic.{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Mike|title=Running Can Be Beautiful|work=Indianapolis News|date=22 May 1981|page=29}} Outside of marathon running, Barron was a television broadcaster for WAGA-TV in Atlanta and coached a team of runners from the Leukemia Society of America.
Awards and honors
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Footer Boston Marathon Champions Women}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barron, Gayle}}
Category:Track and field athletes from Atlanta
Category:American women television personalities
Category:American female marathon runners
Category:American female long-distance runners
Category:Boston Marathon female winners
Category:University of Georgia alumni