That's what race official Jock Semple screamed at Kathrine 50 years ago, as he tried to remove her bib. Related: Please Stop Telling Women Not to Run Alone "Give me those numbers and get the hell out of my race!" Below, Kathrine shares the prejudiced statements she's heard over the past five decades-and how she's overcome them. On April 17, Kathrine will run the Boston Marathon for the ninth time. While much has changed in the last 50 years, other things have stayed the same, including the fact that female runners must still fight back against sexism-and at times, take extra precautions to ensure safety. Kathrine's boyfriend, who was running alongside, shouldered the official out of the way, propelling Switzer into the spotlight as an icon for women's rights in athletics.
But then, at the two-mile mark, race official Jock Semple realized what was going on. Infuriated, he attacked her, trying to rip the bib, marked with #261, from her chest. Her penchant for using her initials rather than her full name allowed her to sign up for the race without a fuss, and the cold weather on race day initially made her virtually indistinguishable from the male runners. At the time, in 1967, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) rules stated women were not allowed to run more than 1.5 miles competitively because they supposedly couldn't handle the strain of longer distances.īut at the time, Kathrine had no idea she was breaking the rules. Fifty years ago, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially finish the Boston Marathon.
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