First woman to run Boston Marathon (1967), official tried to drag her off the course

[swag]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/sports/othersports/15switzer.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin



By KATHRINE SWITZER
Published: April 15, 2007

Two miles into the 1967 Boston Marathon, an official tried to eject me from the race simply because I was a woman. That event changed my life and, as a consequence, the lives of millions of women around the world.

A Boston Marathon official tried to hustle Kathrine Switzer, No. 261, off the course during the race in 1967.
The marathon was a man’s race in those days; women were considered too fragile to run it. But I had trained hard and was confident of my strength. Still, it took a body block from my boyfriend to knock the official off the course and allow me to complete the 26 miles 385 yards.

In 1967, few would have believed that marathon running would someday attract millions of women, become a glamour event in the Olympics and on the streets of major cities, help transform views of women’s physical ability and help redefine their economic roles in traditional cultures.

It happened because on a basic level, running empowers women and raises their self-esteem while promoting physical fitness easily and inexpensively.

In the final 24 miles of my first Boston Marathon, I knew that women needed only opportunities. I have since devoted my life to opening doors, primarily by creating a series of women’s races in 27 countries. That helped pave the way to the inclusion of the women’s marathon as an official Olympic event in 1984. Joan Benoit Samuelson of Maine crossed the finish line first in that race, an important moment for women watching around the world.

. . . more

[swag]

1. Amazing.

[swag]

2. Amazing.

[Breeze54]

3. Unbelievable, isn't it?

We've come a long way, baby! ;) Thanks to women like Kathrine Switzer!

[crispini]

4. Thanks for posting!

We still have a long way to go.

[underpants]

5. Amazing story that needs to be retold every year

that was only 40 years ago

[SarahB]

6. That was ONE generation ago.

And people wonder why women get offended at blatant sexism. Our rights don't exactly have a long history.

[LostinVA]

7. Look how long it took for a women's marathon in the Olympics

AND, they are STILL not allowed to ski jump in the Olympics because it may hurt their uterus. Swear to God. There's also a bogus sexist reason why they can't pole vault, box, etc.

[Breeze54]

8. Thanks for the info!

I wasn't aware that women were not allowed ski-jump, pole-vault, box, etc. in the Olympics!

Sheesh! :wow: Ridiculous!!! :grr:

[LostinVA]

9. And, it's for ridiculous reasons

VERY sexist reasons -- and medically incorrect.

I'll try to find an internet link. I read all about it in a hard copy article.

[LostinVA]

10. A found a link about ski jumping

This isn't the article I read, but it will do:

http://www.mindfulmission.com/index.php/2006/02/17/sexism_at_work

[Breeze54]

13. Thanks for searching for it!

:hi:

[rockymountaindem]

12. I believe there is women's pole vaulting now

I think they had it in the 2004 Olympics. See how much progress you ladies are making!

[LostinVA]

16. How did I miss that???

That's great!

[Lisa]

21. I was a long-distance runner in high school, 20 years ago ...

.... and there were still coaches in the city who didn't think women should be allowed to compete in the 3000 and 5000 m. (And of course, the thought of a women's Olympic gold medal in ice hockey seemed almost impossible.) I remember that there was one female phys ed teacher who made a special point of going around at meets, congratulating all the woman competitors -- even me, and I was really terrible at it! (She told me that I should really be thinking of going for longer distances, because she thought my sense of pacing was excellent ... I haven't competed since I graduated, but I've always thought that I should try again someday.)

I really admire Kathrine Switzer and the other female athletes, amateur and professional, who worked so hard to bring about these changes.

[skygazer]

11. So many people don't realize the huge strides that have been made

They think of the days of blatant sexism being a long, long time ago - like back when women were wearing hoop skirts or something.

In 1978, I pretty much forced my way into a job that until then had always gone to guys. I was 17 and it was at a greyhound track. One of the guys who worked there as a leadout had told me they needed another one and when I said I needed a job, he laughed and said, "A girl couldn't do it!"

That's all I needed to be damn well determined to get it so I marched on down and told them I wanted the job. They were flummoxed. But I was pretty firm and confident. They made me prove I could lead four dogs at a time, lift them into the holding crates, take them down, do all this absurd stuff that I can guarantee they never tested any guys on.

But I did it. And I got the job. You had to be a very strong person to endure the crap you had to endure to work in a non-traditional environment. At that time in my high school, girls weren't allowed to take shop or auto mechanics and the guidance counselors actively discouraged them from pursuing "men's" jobs like being doctors or lawyers.

Not long ago at all.

[Breeze54]

14. "You had to be a very strong person to endure the crap..."

Woman still have to be strong and endure the crap!!

It's better but it still is happening! :grr:

[SarahB]

18. "'Men's' jobs like doctors or lawyers"

Now, over half of med students are women and I'd venture to guess it's pretty close in law students as well. My generation (I'm 35) and those younger mustn't forget our history.

[Lisa]

23. "hoop skirts" -- hahaha! Don't forget the whalebone corsets and bloomers ...

At the risk of sounding like an old crone, the 1960s (and even the 1970s) seem like ancient history to a lot of teens and 20-somethings these days! The college students I teach were almost all born after 1989 .... they thought I was kidding when I mentioned that many universities, such as Yale, did not let women study for undergraduate degrees until the late 1960s. (Hence the term "co-ed" -- how quaint!) These days, most undergraduates at North American colleges and universities are women, I seem to recall from the recent stats.

Kudos to you, skygazer -- a very strong person! (I was such a wimp that I didn't even protest when they streamed our Grade 7 class into shop and home ec, by gender, although I hated home ec and the teacher was always hassling me in class because I hadn't found a boyfriend yet. If I could go back in time, that's one thing I'd do differently, for sure.)

[Orrex]

15. Jeez--it's been 40 years. When will you fragile women learn your place?

:evilgrin:

[azmouse]

17. Great post!

We need these reminders of how far women have come. Thank you.

[Nicole]

19. Thank you!

This story needs to be told again & again.

Kathrine Switzer :toast:

[Lisa]

20. "40 percent of the field"

There are enough women in there now to drag that official off the course!

[trof]

22. "You've come a long way, baby."

Remember that Virginia Slims ad campaign?

[hedgehog]

24. My girls thank you for posting this bit of history.