Fifty years ago, K.V Switzer ran her first Boston Marathon. On Monday, at the age of 70, she was back in the race.
Back in 1967, Kathrine Switzer made history as the first woman to compete in the all-male race. She registered under her initials to hide the fact that she was a woman and once it was discovered, it was quite controversial. An official from the race tried to pull her off the course, but her boyfriend intervened, allowing Switzer to finish the race in four-hours-and-20-minutes. Despite her triumph that year, women weren't officially allowed to join the marathon until 1972.
This year, Switzer ran the marathon with the women's running club she founded, 261 Fearless, named her bib number in 1967. And despite the toll of time, she still managed to finish in the four-hour-plus range with a time of four-hours-and-44-minutes. (The New York Times)
Hard to believe that just 50 years ago women weren't allowed to run marathons.