Inducted into National Women’s Hall of Fame 10/11
Kathrine Switzer
As the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer broke the gender barrier and paved the way for women in running.
Born into a military family stationed in Germany, Switzer later attended Syracuse University, earning a B.A. from the Newhouse School of Journalism (1968).
In 1967, Switzer registered for the Boston Marathon as ‘K. Switzer’. After the race began, the race director realized Switzer was a woman and attempted to forcibly remove her. However, she continued on and completed the course. Photos of this “Boston Incident” ignited the women’s running revolution at a time when popular theory held that women were not strong enough to run the 26.2 mile distance.