Martha "Marty" Cooksey (born July 18, 1954) is an American former long-distance runner who competed in events ranging from 5000 meters to the marathon.
Internationally, she competed for the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1982 and won the gold medal over 10,000 meters at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis.
[2] Following this, she entered the 1978 Avon International Marathon held in Atlanta, Georgia, and was the surprise winner of the event, defeating more established runners such as Kim Merritt and Miki Gorman.
[4] Cooksey made her international debut at the 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where she placed 17th and helped the American women's team to fourth in the rankings.
After she recovered, she came second behind Gabriela Andersen-Schiess at the California International Marathon in Sacramento and her time gained her qualification into the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Trial.
[18] She retired from her running career in 1988, but continued to participate sporadically and won the Colorado Springs Pike's Peak race at the age of forty-three.