Anne Hird (née Sullivan, born April 8, 1959) is a retired American middle-distance and long-distance runner who was the U.S. national champion for the distances of 30 kilometers and 10 miles.
She led the crowd of 685 women to a fast finish in 55:34, busting Joan Benoit's previous course record by eight seconds.
[12][13] It was a big year for her, though at the 1984 Olympic Trials Marathon in Olympia, Washington, she dropped out due to a stomach virus as Joan Benoit went on to win.
[14] She had been at the Boston Marathon in April, where she sought a training run, stopped a few times to fix her shoes, but finished as the first American woman, behind the winner from New Zealand, Lorraine Moller.
[15][12] Then she went to Duluth, Minnesota, for Grandma's Marathon, where she led Sissel Grottenberg and other top runners to win in 2:37:30.