This is where she got the motivation to run the Boston Marathon. As a result, Kathrine took it upon herself to unofficially train with the men’s cross-country team. Unfortunately, women’s cross-country didn’t exist at Syracuse University, the school she attended. Kathrine loved to run and she was good at it. The Boston Marathon had been an all-male event for the past 70 years and women were not welcomed. But many people thought women were too weak to run a 26-mile race. There were no written rules stating that women couldn’t compete in the Boston Marathon. This was a time of gender inequality in sports. Kathrine was the first and only registered female runner in the marathon lineup and she had something to prove. However, for one participant named Kathrine Switzer, the weather conditions were the least of her worries. The weather was absolutely atrocious for the 601 runners who had anxiously awaited this day. This particular day was filled with freezing rain, snow and strong winds.
While we know it is not enough, we bow low and say "thank you" to Kathrine for paving the way for so many.The 71st annual Boston Marathon was held on April 19, 1967. Kathrine has been leading change for women in sport for decades, and it was an honor for us to chat with her. With Boston postponed this year until September, we hope this interview, rich in history from Boston, will tide you over until then. Kara and Shanna lead this interview and get to it all. Jock would not succeed, but the iconic photo of him trying would create an indelible image that would change the future of women in sport forever.įrom that day forward Kathrine became a catalyst for change, leading the way for women to be able to officially race in the NYC and Boston Marathons as well as the Olympics, all while continuing to compete and win races herself. During the race, she was attacked by race official Jock Semple who tried to pull her off the course. On April 19th, 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially finish the Boston Marathon in a time of 4 hours and 20 minutes.
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