The people, campaigns, research and updates making an impact in our running community this month

From left to right, British athletes Daphne Arden, Mary Rand and Dorothy Hyman compete in the women’s 100-yard dash during the WAAA (Women’s Amateur Athletic Association) Championships at the White City Stadium in London, 1964

WOMEN CELEBRATE CENTENARY FOR ATHLETICS

Time to raise a glass to 100 years of women’s athletics (and an award or two for Women’s Running). Here’s to all women in sport – let’s keep fighting for equality!

One hundred years ago, the Women’s Amateur Athletics Association was formed, at a time when many men believed there was no place for women in sport. There was certainly no opportunity at that time and for many years afterwards for women to run a marathon, as many men believed it was impossible for them to run that far.

The male-dominated Amateur Athletics Association in England encouraged women to set up their own organisation and it didn’t take long for women to show how seriously they could compete. However, they still had to fight to be included on the global sports stage. The Olympic Games included women’s athletics contests for the first time in Amsterdam in 1928 but, with just five events on offer, women decided to boycott the event instead.