Benoit Samuelson

As Joan Benoit Samuelson negotiated the hairpin turn into the Coliseum tunnel, ran past the USC locker room and onto the stadium’s red synthetic track for the final 400 meters of the 1984 Olympic marathon, her focus wasn’t only on finishing, but on finishing strong.

D’Amato joined running royalty and previous American marathon record holders Joan Benoit Samuelson and Deena Kastor in Chicago as a spectator.

Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic marathon winner, started the field on their way along along the three-loop course that proved to be extremely fast.

On Sunday, Benoit Samuelson said she would like to run the Tokyo Marathon.

And perhaps they could run together, said Benoit Samuelson, who plans to run the Boston Marathon next year to celebrate turning 65.