Kathrine Switzer, First Woman to Run Boston Marathon

Women are too weak, too fragile to run a marathon. For some, this was the line of thinking in 1967, when women were not allowed to run the Boston Marathon.

But, Syracuse University student Kathrine Switzer wanted to run the race. She knew she could run the whole course. So she entered, as K.V. Switzer.

While warming up before the race, fellow runners were surprised to see her on the course. They had never seen a woman line up for the Boston Marathon. “Hey! You gonna go the whole way?” she was asked.

Then the race began. The first few miles were fine, but around mile four, a race organizer, wearing dress shoes and slacks ran up from behind her, grabbed her shirt and tried to force her off the course. He was pushed away by one of her friends. That is when this photograph was taken.

Kathrine, somewhat shaken by the incident, continued the race. She ran the whole way and she finished.