Patti Dillon, a tenacious and tireless competitor who dominated women’s road racing during the early years of the sport, has been named the honorary chairperson of the 89th Manchester Road Race.
Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, announced Dillon’s selection today.
Then known as Patti Lyons, she won the women’s championship at the 1979 MRR in the course record time of 25:37. Her record, which stood until 1985, eclipsed the prior mark of 27:17 that was set by Lisa Berry in 1977. The MRR first established a separate prize division for female runners in 1977.
Dillon, now 72, took up distance running shortly before her 23rd birthday in 1976 in order to lose weight. Seven months later, she won the Ocean State Marathon in Newport, Rhode Island—her first attempt at the 26.2-mile distance—-in 2:53:40, a time which qualified her for the Boston Marathon. Dillon would go on to win the Ocean State Marathon five times between 1976 and 1981.
She also won the Honolulu Marathon four years in a row (1978-1981), the Montreal International Marathon in 1980, and the Rio de Janeiro Marathon in 1985.
Dillon was raised in Quincy, Mass. and is a member of the Native American tribe known as the Mi’kmaq Nation. She became the first American woman to run the marathon in a time under 2:30 in 1980 when she placed second to Grete Waitz at the New York City Marathon in 2:29:33.
She also had three consecutive second-place finishes at the Boston Marathon (1979-81). Her time of 2:27:52 at the 1981 Boston Marathon was a personal record.
Called the “queen of U.S. women distance runners” by a Massachusetts sports writer, Dillon set world-records during her career in the marathon, half-marathon, 30-K, 20-K, and five-mile events. In addition to holding national records in those events, she also set American records in the 10-K (six times), 15-K (two times) and 10-miles (two times). She once competed in 48 road races during 52 weeks and won 44 of them.
Dillon is a member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, the Rhode Island Runners Hall of Fame and the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame.
Retired from competitive running since 1986, Dillon resides in Windham, Conn. with her husband Dan Dillon, a former All-American runner at Providence College and a seven-time World Cross Country Championship competitor. She coaches running and serves on the board of directors of Wings of America, a Native American youth running initiative.
Dillon also founded the Connecticut Homeschool Harriers, the first running club in the world for home- schooled children.
The Manchester Road Race Committee annually recognizes an individual for their outstanding contributions to the race and the sport of distance running by designating them as the honorary chairperson of the event.
“Patti Dillon had an amazing career and is an inspiration to all of us,” Dr. Carta said. “We are honored and delighted that she will be returning to our race this Thanksgiving.”
The 89th Manchester Road Race, one of America’s largest and most popular turkey trots, will be held at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27, 2025). The 4.737-mile race is run on a loop course that starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church. More details, and on-line registration, are available 24 hours a day at www.manchesterroadrace.com.
