This weekend, 43% of the people on the starting line of the Flying Pig Marathon will be women. You don’t have to look too far into the past to see how far women have come in sport. Once upon a time, men dominated the marathon. In fact, it was believed that women couldn’t run marathons for some pretty wacky reasons. “Your uterus would fall out. You would turn into a man if you knew it was inappropriate to sweat or do anything strenuous,” said Kathrine Switzer, athlete, activist and author. In 1967, Switzer set the record straight, although it was unintentional. As a college student in Syracuse who just loved to run, she signed up for the Boston Marathon. “I signed the registration form with my initials because that’s how I signed my name. I wanted to be the next JD Salinger. So KB Switzer was really cool and they accepted my registration,” she said. Little did she know when she put on the bib 261 that she would pave the way for millions of women. “I wasn’t there to prove anything. I wasn’t there to be political. I didn’t have any political instincts in my head, but I was really proud of myself because I trained hard. I ran the distance and had practiced. actually 31 miles,” said Switzer. In the beginning, she remembers, she was warmly welcomed. That took a mile and a half up an ugly bend. “The race director who was on the press car was angry and lost his temper. He jumped off the press car and ran after me and grabbed me and yelled, grabbed me and yelled, Get out of my race and give me those numbers,” she said . The moment frozen by the press. “It’s really quite an amazing photo. But for me, as a very young woman, the track in her first big race, you can imagine how I felt,” said Switzer. Her then-boyfriend helped fend him off, and she kept running! She finished the race, not just for herself, but for any woman who wanted to run a marathon. “As soon as I crossed the finish line, I knew I wanted to be a better athlete. I knew I wanted to create opportunities for women in sports and I didn’t know what it looked like, but I went after it and it changed my life,” she said. Create opportunities she did. In 1972, she was one of eight women to officially run the Boston Marathon. She created an international series of women’s races that includes 400 races in 27 countries. She campaigned for a women’s marathon to be included in the Olympics. “She was definitely the epitome of change when it comes to running,” said peloton coach Becs Gentry. Gentry’s smile and running practice grace the Peloton app. She started running in her mid-20s. She says that in a dark place in life, running became a passion. As fast as she’s on the tread, she’s even faster to pay homage to her inspirations, including Kathrine Switzer. “She just ran to the finish line with a beautiful bow in her hair and I am grateful for the elegance and grace with which she sent that message to the world. She didn’t scream and scream. She did it with composure. And just look at how powerful the woman is,” Gentry said. Gold medalist and Cincinnatian Mary Wineberg said it’s exciting to see women cross the target pig in the Flying Pig. Her passion for running began as a young girl, when she competed against the boys.”I was the only girl that competed against boys. And so I was very nervous, very scared. And in the end I won that race,” she recalled. She won in 2008 to Beijing Winebergs Track and field idols include Wilma Rudolph and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, but she herself is a trailblazer, albeit humble about it: “It’s weird because I always try to make sure I’m humble. But even here at the University of Cincinnati, I was the first African American woman from the University of Cincinnati to go to the Olympics and win an Olympic medal, and when I think about it, I’m like, wow, that’s a trailblazer,” Wineberg said. Of course, the way there was not without physical and mental challenges. She takes her experience and uses it to advise young athletes. “I always want to remind female athletes that mentally you are as strong and tough as any man. You, you are tough, you are strong. And I tell athletes to say it out loud, because when you say it out loud, it just confirms that this is the reality: “If you’re still undecided about lacing your shoes, just think: Kathrine Switzer.” ran so we could run and nobody thinks twice about it. “Everyone looked at me in 1966. Nobody’s looking at you now,” Switzer said.
This weekend, 43% of the people on the starting line of the Flying Pig Marathon will be women. You don’t have to look too far into the past to see how far women have come in sport.
Once upon a time, men dominated the marathon. In fact, it was believed that women couldn’t run marathons for some pretty wacky reasons.
“Your uterus would fall out. You would turn into a man if you knew it was inappropriate to sweat or do anything strenuous,” said Kathrine Switzer, athlete, activist and author.
In 1967, Switzer set the record straight, although it was unintentional. As a college student in Syracuse who just loved to run, she signed up for the Boston Marathon.
“I signed the registration form with my initials because that’s how I signed my name. I wanted to be the next JD Salinger. So KB Switzer was really cool and they accepted my registration,” she said.
Little did she know when she put on the bib 261 that she would pave the way for millions of women.
“I wasn’t there to prove anything. I wasn’t there to be political. I didn’t have any political instincts in my head, but I was really proud of myself because I trained hard. I ran the distance and had practiced. actually 31 miles,” said Switzer.
In the beginning, she remembers, she was warmly welcomed. That took an ugly turn after a mile and a half.
“The race director who was on the press van was angry and lost his temper. He jumped out of the press car, ran after me and grabbed me and yelled, grabbed me and yelled, ‘Get out of my race and give me those numbers,'” she said.
The moment frozen by the press.
“It’s really quite an amazing photo. But for me, as a very young woman, the track in her first big race, you can imagine how I felt,” said Switzer.
Her then-boyfriend helped fend him off, and she kept running! She finished the race, not just for herself, but for any woman who wanted to run a marathon.
“As soon as I crossed the finish line, I knew I wanted to be a better athlete. I knew I wanted to create opportunities for women in sports and I didn’t know what it looked like, but I went after it and it changed my life,” she said.
Create opportunities she did. In 1972, she was one of eight women to officially run the Boston Marathon. She created an international series of women’s races that includes 400 races in 27 countries. She campaigned for a women’s marathon to be included in the Olympics.
“She was definitely the epitome of change when it comes to running,” said peloton coach Becs Gentry.
Gentry’s smile and running practice grace the Peloton app. She started running in her mid-20s. She says that in a dark place in life, running became a passion. As fast as she’s on the tread, she’s even faster to pay homage to her inspirations, including Kathrine Switzer.
“She just ran to the finish line with a beautiful bow in her hair and I am grateful for the elegance and grace with which she sent that message to the world. She didn’t scream and scream. She did it with composure. And just look at how powerful the woman is,” Gentry said.
Gold medalist and Cincinnatian Mary Wineberg said it was exciting to see women cross the target pig at the Flying Pig. Her passion for running began as a young girl competing against the boys.
“I was the only girl who competed against boys. And so I was very nervous, very scared. And in the end I won that race,” she recalled.
She won to Beijing in 2008. Wineberg’s track and field idols are Wilma Rudolph and Jackie Joyner-Kersee; however, she herself is a trailblazer, even if she is modest about it.
“It’s weird because I always try to make sure I stay humble. But even here at the University of Cincinnati, I was the first African American woman from the University of Cincinnati to go to the Olympics and win an Olympic medal. When I think about it, I’m like, wow, that’s a trailblazer,” Wineberg said.
Of course, the way there was not without physical and mental challenges. She takes her experience and uses it to advise young athletes.
“I always want to remind female athletes that mentally you are as strong and tough as any man. You, you are tough, you are strong. And I tell the athletes to say it out loud, because when you say it out loud, it just confirms that’s the reality.”
If you’re still undecided about lacing up, remember: Kathrine Switzer raced so we could run, and nobody thinks twice about it.
“Everyone looked at me in 1966. Nobody’s looking at you now,” Switzer said.
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