Katherine Switzer and infamous Boston Marathon official Jock Semple, who became very supportive of female runners
The controversy that swirled around this iconic event – a woman running in a men-only marathon – tends to diminish the athletic achievements of one of the world’s most renowned female runners. Kathrine went on to run Boston eight times, bettering her first time in 1967 of 4 hours 20 minutes down to 2 hours 51 minutes in 1975. At this time she was the third fastest American woman and sixth fastest in the world. Her 27-minute victory margin in the 1974 New York City Marathon remains the biggest margin of victory in the history of this race.