Kathrine Switzer

An iconic athlete, author, Emmy-award winning broadcaster and advocate for
sports and social causes, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially
register and run the Boston Marathon in 1967. She was attacked in the race by an
angry official who tried to rip off her bib number (#261) and throw her out of the
race because she was a woman. She finished the 26.2 mile distance anyway and
went on win the 1974 New York City Marathon and to champion women in the
sport globally, most notably leading the drive to make the women’s marathon an
official Olympic event in 1984. Now, 58% of all runners in the USA are women.
To celebrate this social revolution, and to support another on active aging,
Switzer ran the Boston Marathon again, at age 70, on the 50th anniversary of her
iconic run, finishing only 24 minutes slower than she did when she was 20. This
run launched her non-profit ‘261 Fearless’ –named after that famous bib
number–which empowers women globally though running. She has been
honored widely for her achievements including being inducted into the USA
National Women’s Hall of Fame which recognized her for creating positive social
change throughout her storied career.