[1][2] In her sophomore year, Larson set four meeting records at the North Dakota Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women event.

[5] The following year, Larson was a high school gym teacher in Brookings, South Dakota.

[7] After the race, other runners were complaining about the 10:30 start, which had most runners finishing in 80 °F (27 °C) heat,[10] but Larson instead was concerned that the delayed start time affected her travel home, as she had to drive six hours back to Brookings, South Dakota, to work the next day.

[7][10] A race sponsor said the start time had been chosen to accommodate all entrants who lived outside the city.

[10] Larson competed at the 1979 Chicago Marathon, and was leading until around 1 mile (1.6 km) from the finish line, when she was overtaken by 15-year-old Laura Michalek.