Kathrine Switzer
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to run the Boston marathon.
Kathrine Switzer will always be best known as the woman who challenged the all-male tradition of the Boston Marathon and became the first woman to officially enter and run the event.
Her entry created an uproar and worldwide notoriety when a race official tried to forcibly remove her from the competition. After realizing that a woman was running, race organizer Jock Semple went after Switzer shouting, “get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers.”
However, Switzer’s boyfriend and other male runners provided a protective shield during the entire marathon. The photographs taken of the incident made world headlines.