Dale Greig was a Scottish cross country champion and pioneering long-distance runner. In 1964 she became the first woman to run a marathon in under 3 hours 30 minutes. Her time of 3:27:45 at the Isle of Wight Marathon was recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations as a world best. Dale Greig (United Kingdom) set the women's marathon world record of 3:27:45 in Ryde on May 23, 1964. It stood 59 days, until Mildred Sampson's 3:19:33 on July 21, 1964. Wiki link