Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Irvine ya kafa tarihin mata masu tsere fiye da shekaru 50. Ita ce mace ta farko a cikin rukunin shekarunta da ta yi gudu na kasa da minti 20 a tseren kilomita 5, da minti 38 a tseren kilomita 10, da kuma 3:00 a tseren marathon. A cikin 1983, Irvine ya yi gasa a California International Marathon, wanda aka gudanar a Sacramento, California. Lokaci na 2: 51.01 ya kafa tarihin duniya ga mata masu tsere sama da 50; ya fi sa'o'i takwas sauri fiye da lokacin rikodin da ya gabata, wanda ta riƙe, kuma kusan mintuna 13 a gaban lokaci mafi sauri na gaba da mace sama da 50. Lokaci kuma ya fi na 2:51.16 da ake buƙata don shiga cikin Gwajin Wasannin Olympics na Amurka. A lokacin, Irvine ita ce mafi tsufa mai gasa a cikin gwajin wasannin Olympic na Amurka; a lokacin gwaji, tana da shekaru 54. A cikin Gwaji na 1984, wanda ya cancanci masu gudu don gasar Olympics ta farko ta mata
, Irvine ya buga lokaci na 2: 52.02, kuma ba ɗaya daga cikin masu cancanci ba. Daga cikin mata 268 da suka yi takara a Gasar, ta ƙare a matsayi na 131. Game da kwarewar, Irvine ya ce, "Na san cewa gwaji zai zama na Olympics".