Congratulations to 2014 Boston Marathon winners Meb Keflezighi and Rita Jeptoo, who won the men’s and women’s elite runners fair and square. It’s hard to believe that not every participant in the marathon’s storied history crossed the finish line with the utmost honesty. But on this day in Boston history, on April 21, 1980, Rosie Ruiz was crowned the women’s champion but her 26.2-mile trek was hardly complete.

Given the this year’s heightened security, it’s inconceivable to consider that a runner could start out pounding the pavement with the rest of the field only to jump on the subway and emerge from the cavernous MBTA within a mile of the Boylston Street finish line. But that happened in 1980 with Rosie Ruiz.

“Miss Ruiz, an administrative assistant for Metal Trading Inc. in Manhattan, received the traditional laurel wreath, a medal and a silver bowl for her victory,” According to the New York Times, “But as late as three hours after she had been interviewed by newsmen and photographed with [Bill] Rodgers, Will Cloney, the race director, acknowledged that ‘there is an obvious problem with the determination of the women’s winner.'”

Said problem is that, according to Runners World: “Ruiz had dropped out of the race, hopped on the subway, got off about a mile from the finish line, and ran in from there.”

The real winner was Jacqueline Gareau of Canada, who recorded the respectable triumphant time of 2:34:28.

It was the heavy media presence along the Marathon route that outed Ruiz. The Cuban-born runner was noticeably absent from video coverage and photographs, for a time not appearing in the first group of women.

“Finally, spectators came forward to say they had seen Ruiz join the race less than a mile from the finish,” writes local history site MassMoments.

Ruiz’s name was subsequently stricken from the Boston Athletic Association’s records and Garea was given her due credit.

The 1980 race was viewed in retrospect as an infamous one due to Ruiz’s antics, but only for a tremendously short while. In fact, I daresay the average Bostonian is unaware that such an incident ever took place. The race has since gone down in history, albeit for a much more venerable reason.

It was in 1980 that Bill Rodgers captured his third straight Boston Marathon, his fourth overall.

image via Orlando Sentinel