She was later disqualified and expelled from the athletic federation for reasons including running with men, running more than a 1.5 miles (the legal limit for women) and running without a chaperone.

That night pictures of her running, being attacked and being saved were all over the press. And if she didn’t finish the race, everybody would believe women can’t do it, that they don’t deserve to take part.Īnd so she did it, she finished the race. Most people didn’t believe she could do it. The press, who happened to witness the entire episode from their truck, turned aggressive and asked her what she was trying to prove. Her running companions pushed away the man and they all continued to run. So in April 1967 there she was, with the number 261 proudly pinned on her top.ĭuring the race, one of the event’s directors saw her running and suddenly attacked her, tried to rip off her bib and fiercely yelled “Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!”. Switzer - like she had always done - which meant organisers hadn’t realised there would be a woman taking part in the race. She had signed the entry form with her initials K.V. Although there was no official rule about gender, the event had been an all-male affair for 70 years. In 1967, 19-year old Kathrine Switzer entered the Boston Marathon.

Marathons would be too much of a strain on the frail female body women’s health would be damaged. Traditional sports began opening to women in the 1950s and 1960s, but the idea of a woman running long distance was unthinkable until well into the 1970s.

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