Lisa Larsen Rainsberger, previously known as Lisa Larsen Weidenbach, (born May 7, 1961) is a distance runner. She is a member of the University of Michigan Track and Field and Road Runners of America Halls of Fame.[1] Her marathon times were among the top ten in the US in 1984 and 1987–1994.[2] As of 2008, she was listed four times in the top 100 all-time US women's marathon performances, with a best time of 2:28:15.[3]
While in high school in Battle Creek, Michigan, Rainsberger won competitions as a swimmer in the Individual Medley, qualifying for the 1980 Olympic Swimming trials, and later competed on scholarship as an All-American swimmer in college at the University of Michigan. She walked away from that scholarship to earn another as a collegiate runner and was a two-time All-American in track and cross country.
In 1984, she ran the inaugural women's Olympic marathon trials where she finished fourth, missing a spot in the Olympic games.[4] In 1985, she won the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:34:06.[5] An American did not win the Boston Marathon again until 2018, 33 years later, when Desiree Linden ran to victory.[6] Rainsberger finished first back-to-back in the Chicago Marathon in 1988 (2:29:17) and 1989 (2:28:15), something no American woman has repeated since. She had run in numerous other distance races on the track and road, in the United States and abroad (notably Japan's Hokkaido Marathon).
Rainsberger ended her 12-year career of professional competition after a final attempt to become a professional triathlete and training for the Olympics. She now focuses on her family and coaching. She coaches members of the Army's world class athlete program,[7] [8] and her daughter, Katie Rainsberger, who is a champion in her own right.
| Representing the | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | US Olympic Marathon Trial | Olympia, Washington, United States | 4th | Marathon | 2:33.10 | ||
| 1985 | Boston, United States | bgcolor=gold | 1st | Marathon | 2:34:06 | ||
| 1988 | Pittsburgh Marathon (US Olympic Trial) | Pittsburgh, United States | 4th | Marathon | 2:31:06 | ||
| Chicago, United States | bgcolor=gold | 1st | Marathon | 2:29:17 | |||
| 1989 | Chicago, United States | bgcolor=gold | 1st | Marathon | 2:28:15 | ||
| 1990 | London Marathon | London, England | 3rd | Marathon | 2:28:16 | ||
| Hokkaido Marathon | Sapporo, Japan | bgcolor=gold | 1st | Marathon | 2:31:29 | ||
| 1992 | Houston Marathon (US Olympic Trial) | Houston, United States | 4th | Marathon | 2:33:32 | ||
| 1993 | Minneapolis, United States | bgcolor=gold | 1st | Marathon | 2:33:38 | ||
Lisa's daughter, Katie Rainsberger, secured the United States' girls' high school 5K cross country record with a time of 16:23.40, set in 2016. It was surpassed in 2018 by Katelyn Tuohy.[9]