Kathrine Switzer by Madalyn Buro

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Kathrine Switzer's number during the 1967 Boston Marathon

Who was Kathrine Switzer?

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Kathrine Switzer was the first official woman to run the Boston marathon. During her run, she was attacked by marathon director, Jock Semple, who screamed obscenities at her to get out of his race. There were no rules on women not being allowed to run the race, it was a purely societal rule. Switzer told herself she had to finish the race because even though she was upset, if she had stopped and quit, it would've proven just what everyone else thought: women can't do it. She fought to prove her point and finished the race in second place, beating hundreds of men partaking in the race behind her.

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Image of Kathrine Switzer being attacked by Jock Semple, while her then-boyfriend pushes him away from her.

Song:

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One Foot by Walk the Moon

Switzer Background

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Kathrine came from a military family. In fact, she was born in Germany and lived there for two years of her life as a baby. Her father was a major in the US Army. In 1949, her family returned to the United States and she was raised in Virginia.

Education

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Switzer graduated from high school at George C. Michael High School and received a Bachelors and Masters degree for Journalism and English Literature from Lynchburg College & Syracuse University.

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Switzer in the NYC marathon, 1974

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Other Accomplishments

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Other than making history in the 50's, Kathrine Switzer has written three books, one a memoir of her life and the events of the Boston marathon. In the 70's she became a journalist. Switzer has won an Emmy award for her work as a TV commentator and the Abebe Bikila Award for Global Contribution to the Running Sport for NY Road Runners. Most notably, she was within the first class of inductees of the National Distance Hall of Fame.