La película “Breaking Three Hours” celebra a las pioneras afroamericanas

Black American women marathoners are trailblazers. Though they’ve been a force at the elite level of the sport for nearly half a century, until recently their inspiring accomplishments have been largely unknown.

That’s about to change, thanks to an extraordinary new documentary film, “Breaking Three Hours: Trailblazing African-American Women Marathoners,” that celebrates nine incredible Black American women who’ve run sub-3:00 in the marathon.



Produced by the National Black Marathoners’ Association (NBMA) and Kayla Key Production Studios and set for release this summer, the film features interviews, archival photos, and original music.

NBMA founder and executive director Tony Reed was inspired to make “Breaking Three Hours” when he noted that six of the members of the NBMA Hall of Fame were sub-3:00 women marathoners. He shared his idea with dozens of runners—including several of those sub-3:00 women—and became convinced this was a story that needed to be told.

Reed wrote a proposal, secured funding, and conducted interviews, working videographer Kayla Key, who had previously received an NBMA scholarship. Production wrapped last fall.

The runners featured in the film are:

Marilyn Bevans: First Black American woman sub-3:00 marathoner (Boston, 1975)

Ella Willis-Glaze: Sub-3:00 at age 17 at the 1981 Detroit Free Press Marathon

Michele Bush-Cuke: Ran the most sub-2:45 marathons

Michele Tiff-Hill: First Black woman to run in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

Samia Akbar: Fastest U.S.-born Black American woman marathoner (2:34:14, 2006 New York City Marathon)

Alisa Harvey: An 800m and 1500m Pan American Games medalist, the most versatile sub-3:00 marathoner

Shawanna White: Most sub-3:00 marathon (16)

Ingrid Walters: Oldest to break three hours for the first time, at age 43

Sika Henry: First Black American woman professional triathlete

Seven of the nine women, along with Reed and Key, are pictured below. 

“There’s a myth that Black Americans aren’t distance runners—we’re just sprinters,” said Reed, who has run 132 marathons including 50 in one state and one in every U.S. state and on all seven continents. “The reality is that we can and do run distances. Running marathons is about not setting limits on what we’re capable of and not accepting limits that other people place on us.”

Only 3 percent of U.S. runners are Black, according to the Running USA 2020 National Runner Survey. Elevating role models like the women featured in "Breaking Three Hours" may boost that number. "An awareness of these women may lead to the growth of young girls pursuing cross country and the long distances in middle and high school, as well as encouraging women to pursue distance running to improve their health," the film's website noted.  

The NBMA’s historian, Gary Corbitt, maintains a list of sub-3:00 Black American women marathoners that includes over 20 women and continues to grow. “I’d like [this list] to serve as an inspiration for runners to achieve their goals,” Corbitt said. Learn more about Corbitt's work at the Ted Corbitt Archives.

"Women athletes have show what women can do," said Marilyn Bevans, the first Black American woman to break three hours. “Athletics is just another way of finding ourselves.”

Learn more about "Breaking Three Hours" on the film's website. 

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