History has not always been marked by gender equality, and women have had to fight for this over the years. One of them was Kathrine Switzer, who became the first woman to take an official part in the Boston Marathon on April 19, 1967. Thus, breaking one gender discrimination barrier, in this case, in the world of sports careers.
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Who is Kathrine Switzer?
Kathrine Virginia Switzer, born in Amberg, Germany on January 5, 1947, but nationalized American, became a writer, television commentator, and athlete, who during her journalism studies, ran in the Boston Marathon; and as it was a race where until now, only men took part, she registered under the name KV Switzer, using only her initials; thus becoming the first woman to run with a bib number, in this case, 261.
The events of the race
Switzer was very proud to participate in the race; even putting on makeup for the event, but the moment one of the race co-directors noticed her presence, he tried to take her out of the competition, yelling at her and even trying to take her number, but Kathrine was escorted by her boyfriend and other competitors who managed to get her to the finish line after 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Historic 261
The number 261, assigned to Switzer by chance at the time of his registration in the race, went on to become a milestone and have a meaning of great value within the movement for the equality of women in sport, thus becoming a triumph for women who wanted to participate equally in activities that, until now, were only for men.
Wanting is power
Kathrine had always been passionate about sports, and in her college days, she realized that all sports, and therefore scholarships, were only for men, 25 sports were only for them, and there were none with female participation; Switzer blames this on the women themselves, for not having tried or demanded it, so she insisted with the male athletic trainer to allow her to run with them. For the trainer, it was something strange, but despite this; they allowed her to train; resulting in a surprise to the team members who gave her support and made her feel welcome, although she had clear indications they could not federate her but would limit herself to being part of the training sessions.
Be the change the world needs
In 1974 Switzer won the New York Marathon, and the following year, she ran again the Boston Marathon, where she finished second with the best time record of all time: 2 hours, 51 minutes, and 37 seconds. Fifty years after that historical event, Kathrine Switzer replaced the famous 261 to run in the Boston Marathon again; having already turned 70, showing that what she considered “a simple girl who all she wanted was running her first marathon” would be the impetus needed for women to gain strength and confidence to assert their rights in the sporting world.
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