Beyond the Track: Jeanne Bocci
04/14/2019
“Eighty-nine marathons, and I wish I could do more,” confessed Jeanne Bocci, the 1972 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All-American. Forty-seven years later and she still would love to compete more.
“Eighty-nine marathons, and I wish I could do more,” confessed Jeanne Bocci, the 1972 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All-American. Forty-seven years later and she still would love to compete more. Bocci is a well-established athlete from Detroit, Michigan, in both long distance running and competitive race walking. She currently holds the American record for the 1500m race walk with a 6:50.4 time, which she achieved on July 8, 1972 in Fredrick, Maryland, but Bocci called her crowning achievement was making the Los Angeles Olympic Trials in 1984. “It was quite exciting to be in the Olympic Trials if I must say so myself, more than setting any other records,” said Bocci.
The year Bocci set the American record, was the first-time in history that AAU allowed women walkers to compete in the 1500m. She then went on to win the exhibition event for the 1500m at the Olympic Trials later that year. However, in 1972, qualifiers of the event could not compete in the actual Olympics. It wasn’t until the Los Angeles Olympics, 1984, that women were allowed to compete in the 10km walking event. Bocci found herself once again on the track, this time finishing 8th in the standings. “I was really honored,” she said. “I was 41 years old, so I was considered an older athlete at 41.” Bocci’s other competitors were 16 to 20 years old, but through hard work and training she showed that was she still was a tough competitor to deal with. Her hard work definitely paid off that year, and the AAU, now renamed the Athletic Congress honored Bocci as the Master Race Walker of the Year and later was inducted into the USA Track & Field (USATF) Masters Hall of Fame.
Other than Olympic race walking, Bocci participated in several running events. In 1978, Bocci became the first woman from Michigan to run in Boston Marathon. She finished 14th. She also won the New York Marathon (race walking) in 1984. “I was a complete basket case,” Bocci laughed. “I was in my 40s. It was the same year as the trials, so I was already in shape. But I did not know that I was winning it. Someone came out and said you are the first walker, and I said ‘no I am not.’”
Bocci has done so many events over the years, it is sometimes so hard to keep track. A couple years ago, she decided “we don’t want all these trophies around all the time when my own children were growing up.” She found a program the repurposes old trophies parts for children with special needs. “[the program director] thought I was bringing in just a few trophies, but I had about a thousand of them,” said Bocci, but she did make sure to keep the National AAU trophies.
If that wasn’t enough for Bocci, she and her husband decided to run in 50 marathons, one in each state of the United States. They drove to every race, but one. “Except Hawaii, they wouldn’t let me take my van there,” said Bocci. It took them about four years to complete, finishing the big feat in 2003.
Now that both Bocci and her husband are retired from racing, they love giving back to their sport. This will be the 17th year that they have helped officiate at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. “We give it back by volunteering to officiate or put on clinics. We are on the track all day, eight or nine hours, ten hours sometimes,” said Bocci. “We don’t get travel money or anything like that, we go because of the sport.” She believes the AAU program is an “excellent learning program for our children.” It gives awareness that the kids can run for a club no matter where they come from. Bocci especially loves watching the little ones cross the finish line. “I have tears in my eyes. I just love them,” Bocci laughed.
When asked about what words of encouragement she has for younger runners and race walkers, Bocci easily replied “no matter how you do, just keep trying, do the best that you can do, but enjoy the sport. You want to tell those kids that they want to enjoy it. It might be some work, but to enjoy their work. Their hard work will pay off in the long run. The accomplishments and the awards are coming to the ones that who work.”
AAU’s inaugural Track and Field Day is June 1. Show your AAU pride by posting a photo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #AAUTrackDay.
The year Bocci set the American record, was the first-time in history that AAU allowed women walkers to compete in the 1500m. She then went on to win the exhibition event for the 1500m at the Olympic Trials later that year. However, in 1972, qualifiers of the event could not compete in the actual Olympics. It wasn’t until the Los Angeles Olympics, 1984, that women were allowed to compete in the 10km walking event. Bocci found herself once again on the track, this time finishing 8th in the standings. “I was really honored,” she said. “I was 41 years old, so I was considered an older athlete at 41.” Bocci’s other competitors were 16 to 20 years old, but through hard work and training she showed that was she still was a tough competitor to deal with. Her hard work definitely paid off that year, and the AAU, now renamed the Athletic Congress honored Bocci as the Master Race Walker of the Year and later was inducted into the USA Track & Field (USATF) Masters Hall of Fame.
Other than Olympic race walking, Bocci participated in several running events. In 1978, Bocci became the first woman from Michigan to run in Boston Marathon. She finished 14th. She also won the New York Marathon (race walking) in 1984. “I was a complete basket case,” Bocci laughed. “I was in my 40s. It was the same year as the trials, so I was already in shape. But I did not know that I was winning it. Someone came out and said you are the first walker, and I said ‘no I am not.’”
Bocci has done so many events over the years, it is sometimes so hard to keep track. A couple years ago, she decided “we don’t want all these trophies around all the time when my own children were growing up.” She found a program the repurposes old trophies parts for children with special needs. “[the program director] thought I was bringing in just a few trophies, but I had about a thousand of them,” said Bocci, but she did make sure to keep the National AAU trophies.
If that wasn’t enough for Bocci, she and her husband decided to run in 50 marathons, one in each state of the United States. They drove to every race, but one. “Except Hawaii, they wouldn’t let me take my van there,” said Bocci. It took them about four years to complete, finishing the big feat in 2003.
Now that both Bocci and her husband are retired from racing, they love giving back to their sport. This will be the 17th year that they have helped officiate at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. “We give it back by volunteering to officiate or put on clinics. We are on the track all day, eight or nine hours, ten hours sometimes,” said Bocci. “We don’t get travel money or anything like that, we go because of the sport.” She believes the AAU program is an “excellent learning program for our children.” It gives awareness that the kids can run for a club no matter where they come from. Bocci especially loves watching the little ones cross the finish line. “I have tears in my eyes. I just love them,” Bocci laughed.
When asked about what words of encouragement she has for younger runners and race walkers, Bocci easily replied “no matter how you do, just keep trying, do the best that you can do, but enjoy the sport. You want to tell those kids that they want to enjoy it. It might be some work, but to enjoy their work. Their hard work will pay off in the long run. The accomplishments and the awards are coming to the ones that who work.”
AAU’s inaugural Track and Field Day is June 1. Show your AAU pride by posting a photo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #AAUTrackDay.
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