Until the 1960s, women couldn’t compete in Olympic events any longer than a sprint – and commentators declared that a marathon would kill them, or leave them unable to have children. Rubbish, of course. But when Kathrine Switzer signed up for the 1967 Boston Marathon, it wasn’t the distance that bothered her – it was the enraged race officials trying to assault her.
Thanks to pioneers like Kathrine, women have made huge strides in long distance running – and are now challenging the times of men in the very races they were banned from for so long.
This episode was first published in July 2024. I’m running the London Marathon next week – 26 April – to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and am grateful to everyone who has supported this very worthy cause.
Further reading
On Bobbi Gibb
Ailsa Ross, “The Woman Who Crashed the Boston Marathon” JSTOR Daily 18 March 2013
Olivier Guiberteau, “Bobbi Gibb: The Boston Marathon pioneer who raced a lie” BBC Sport 29 August 2023
Brigit Katz “The incredible story of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon” Women in the World, New York Times, 20 April 2015
On Kathrine Switzer
Kathrine Switzer “The Girl Who Started It All” Runners World – excerpt from Kathrine Switzer Marathon Woman;
The Spirit of the Marathon by Gail Waesche Kislevitz Breakaway Books, 2002
“I ran with the men and changed history” BBC Outlook
On The Spine Race
Nick Van Mead “Montane Spine Race: 268 miles of pain”
Dave Lee “Spine Race 2013”
“Spine” (Amazon Prime documentary)
Jasmin Paris “Spine Race”
Episode 6 – Spine Race 2019
Other sources
Roger Robinson “Eleven Wretched Women” – What really happened in the first Olympic women’s 800m. Runner’s World 14 May 2012
Colleen English “Not a Very Edifying Spectacle”: The Controversial Women’s 800-Meter Race in the 1928 Olympics 08 October 2015
Natalie Angier “2 Experts Say Women Who Run May Overtake Men” The New York Times 7 January 1992
Run Repeat State of Ultra-running
BBC More or Less
