In 1980, an unknown runner shocked the world by winning the Boston Marathon. But within hours, the story began to unravel. This episode tells the unbelievable rise and fall of Rosie Ruiz and the lie that couldn’t outrun the truth.<br /><br />Music:<br />Swelling - Night II<br />This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.<br /><br />Sources:<br /><ul><li><a href="https://time.com/3822577/rosie-ruiz-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Marathon History: How Fake Winner Rosie Ruiz Got Caught in 1980</a></li><li><a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-21/rosie-ruiz-fakes-boston-marathon-win" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz fakes Boston Marathon win | April 21, 1980 | HISTORY</a></li><li><a href="https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/rosie-ruiz-steals-boston-marathon.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz Steals Boston Marathon</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/sports/rosie-ruiz-boston-marathon-dead.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz, Who Faked Victory in Boston Marathon, Dies at 66 - The New York Times</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/the-buzzer-rosie-ruiz-boston-marathon-jacqueline-gareau-1.6426886" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Remembering when Rosie Ruiz stole the Boston Marathon from a Canadian | CBC Sports</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2019-08-09/rosie-ruiz-the-woman-who-rode-the-green-line-to-boston-marathon-infamy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz, The Woman Who Rode The Green Line To Boston Marathon Infamy | GBH</a></li><li><a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2019/03/22/rosie-ruiz-boston-marathon-cheat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">'Pulling a Rosie': The legacy of Boston's most controversial marathon runner</a></li><li><a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a28615122/rosie-ruiz-boston-marathon-dies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz, Infamous Boston Marathon Cheater, Dies at 66 - Runner's World</a></li><li><a href="https://dailysportshistory.com/episode/rosie-ruiz-boston-marathon-scandal-faking-a-win" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz Boston Marathon Scandal: Faking a Win</a></li><li><a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/obituaries/2019/08/08/rosie-ruiz-obituary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rosie Ruiz, who was stripped of 1980 Boston Marathon title, dies at 66</a></li><li><a href="https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">History - Boston Athletic Association</a></li><li><a href="https://www.meetboston.com/events/festivals-and-annual-events/boston-marathon/history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">History of the Boston Marathon | Boston USA</a></li><li><a href="https://www.baa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Course-Map.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2026 Course Map</a></li><li><a href="https://therunningchannel.com/boston-marathon-map/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Marathon Course Map  - The Running Channel</a></li><li><a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a71053261/boston-marathon-course-breakdown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Marathon Route - Boston Marathon Course 2026</a></li></ul>