California State University Northridge Athletics
CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame
Julie Brown
- Induction:
- 1981
- Class:
- 1978
Julie Brown was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981. Brown competed as a distance runner for the CSUN Women's Track & Field team under Hall of Fame head coach Barbara Swerkes from 1976 to 1977.
Brown established herself as a dominant force across multiple running distances, setting the foundation for a professional career that led all the way to the Olympics. During her time at CSUN, she amassed an incredible collegiate resume. She won the prestigious Broderick Award (now the Honda Sports Award) in both 1976 and 1977 as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete in her sport.
She helped lead the CSUN women's team to historical prominence, helping establish their championship pedigree during the AIAW era. Brown set multiple program records and still holds long-standing CSUN records in the 800 meters, 5,000 meters, and the marathon.
Beyond her collegiate career, Brown achieved immense success on the global stage. In 1975, she became the first American woman to win the IAAF World Cross Country Championship. Brown qualified for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team. While she missed out on the 1980 Moscow Games due to the American boycott, she returned to represent the United States in the inaugural women's Olympic marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
After shifting her focus to long-distance road racing, Brown placed second at the historic, first-ever U.S. Olympic Trials in Olympia, Wash., clocking a time of 2:31:41. The historic race took place on May 12, with Brown finishing just behind Joan Benoit Samuelson's time of 2:31:04.
At the Summer Games in Los Angeles, she completed the historic inaugural Olympic women's marathon, finishing 36th in a time of 4:47:33.
Brown graduated from CSUN in 1978.
Brown established herself as a dominant force across multiple running distances, setting the foundation for a professional career that led all the way to the Olympics. During her time at CSUN, she amassed an incredible collegiate resume. She won the prestigious Broderick Award (now the Honda Sports Award) in both 1976 and 1977 as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete in her sport.
She helped lead the CSUN women's team to historical prominence, helping establish their championship pedigree during the AIAW era. Brown set multiple program records and still holds long-standing CSUN records in the 800 meters, 5,000 meters, and the marathon.
Beyond her collegiate career, Brown achieved immense success on the global stage. In 1975, she became the first American woman to win the IAAF World Cross Country Championship. Brown qualified for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team. While she missed out on the 1980 Moscow Games due to the American boycott, she returned to represent the United States in the inaugural women's Olympic marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
After shifting her focus to long-distance road racing, Brown placed second at the historic, first-ever U.S. Olympic Trials in Olympia, Wash., clocking a time of 2:31:41. The historic race took place on May 12, with Brown finishing just behind Joan Benoit Samuelson's time of 2:31:04.
At the Summer Games in Los Angeles, she completed the historic inaugural Olympic women's marathon, finishing 36th in a time of 4:47:33.
Brown graduated from CSUN in 1978.
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