MANCHESTER -- Joan Benoit Samuelson's victory in the first Olympic women's marathon — and the enduring image of her entering Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum wearing a floppy white hat and a singlet emblazoned with “USA” — inspired a running movement among American women.

And yet her story pales in comparison to that of three local women who've overcome so much more.

The 1984 Olympic hero last week joined Carisa Anctil of Newmarket, Julie Smith of Stratham and Missy Duer of Manchester for a morning run at Livingston Park, where they shared powerful stories of personal health and fitness through Samuelson's “There is No Finish Line” program, sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets.

Anctil, 34, overcame depression and weight gain following the death of her 5-year-old son, Greyden, in 2007. Smith, 54, competes in marathons and inspires a local running club while living with multiple sclerosis. Duer, 33, took a stand against her battle with obesity and lost 120 pounds by focusing on exercise and a healthy diet.

Samuelson introduced the women at the Manchester premiere of “There is No Finish Line,” a Nike-sponsored film shown at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on Tuesday night. The women won a chance to receive mentoring from Samuelson by submitting essays on their journeys to health and wellness.

Running back from despair

Anctil's story brought a tear to the eye of Samuelson and moved the Palace audience, which included members of the Manchester Central High School cross country teams.

Anctil's son died of a degenerative mitochondrial disorder on Feb. 15, 2007.

“I held my precious son as his life slipped away from us,” she wrote in her essay. “He has such a strong soul and beautiful smile. I learned a lot from him in his short life. The months following his death were very hard for me, and I found myself on a great deal of antidepressants. I gained weight quickly and frankly didn't care.”

The downward spiral continued for five years. In February, on the fifth anniversary of her son's death, Anctil “took a long, hard look in the mirror” and decided to take control of her life. Within six months, she dropped 60 pounds. She battles through the hills of road races by thinking of her son's smiling face.

“Everyone comes to our sport for a different reason, and everyone has a story. They are all inspiring,” said Samuelson. “Some of the most inspiring stories are in the back of the pack because these are the people who are challenged significantly in one way or another.”

Running against disease

Smith, diagnosed with MS 15 years ago, recently dropped out of the Applecrest Half Marathon in Hampton Falls because she was losing balance and drifting back and forth on the road. She was concerned, she said, her fellow runners might think she was drunk. Yet despite such relapses, Smith has completed five marathons and more than 10 half marathons.

She described the physical effects of MS as a “gradual downward slide” for her until she learned of the drug Tysabri and found a passion for running.

“I decided, 'I've got to start moving, I have to do it now because I don't know when it will all go south again,'” she said.

Going public with the disease was another step, this one directed at helping others.

“I usually don't share that I have MS, but I decided to submit (the essay),” she said. “Now it's OK. I'm better at owning it that I have MS.”

Running off weight

Duer's weight crept to 270 pounds before she made a life-changing decision to sign up for a kickboxing class. Soon she began running and signed up for her first 5K.

Duer wrote in her winning essay: “My first run was awful. I could barely make it a half mile. I kept at it, though, slowly increasing my distance, until I ran my first 5k! From there, I continued to the half marathon distance, and now I am training for my first marathon.

“Through working out and counting calories, I lost 120 pounds. I continue to maintain that and look forward to achieving more than I ever thought possible! Running is no longer just for conditioning, it's my passion!”

Running toward goals

On Wednesday, the morning after the screening, Anctil, Duer and Smith joined the 55-year-old Samuelson and a small group of fellow runners at Livingston Park for a few loops around Dorrs Pond. They celebrated everyone's achievements and received running tips from Maine's golden girl, who twice won the Boston Marathon. There was no shortage of inspiration on the trails.

“Every person out there has an individual story. It's what makes you a runner and what drives you,” Anctil said.

Samuelson, a native of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, still runs about 70 miles per week and continues to break records in her age category. In 2010, she ran the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours 47 minutes 50 seconds, breaking the American record for the women's 50-54 age division. In 1997, she founded the Beach to Beacon 10K, a Portland, Maine, event that has drawn some of the world's top runners and raised thousands for charity.

“It's all about setting goals and inspiring others,” Samuelson said. “Setting goals and believing in yourself is as important to maintaining your health as it is to be competing at the highest levels of a sport.”

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Kevin Gray may be reached at kgray@unionleader.com.