First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon
Are you familiar with the annual Boston Marathon? The well-known event for runners became an important part of women’s history in 1967, when the first woman entered to run in it. This powerhouse woman was Kathrine Switze, and though women were not technically allowed to compete, she was a numbered entry.
How is that possible? Switze registered her name under her initials, keeping her true identity hidden until the day of the run. Once she started to run alongside the other men, the other runners tried to physically remove her from the course. Shockingly, it wasn’t until 1972 that women were officially allowed to run in the city’s famous marathon.