First female to run as a numbered entry in the Boston Marathon
Creator
Amy French
Source
Image: Wiki Commons
Birth Date
1947
Birthplace
Amberg, Germany
Occupation
Motivational speaker
Biographical Text
Switzer is best known for being the first woman to run the 1967 Boston Marathon as a numbered entry. Registering under her first and middle initial with her last name, race officials assigned her a number even though women would not be formally allowed to compete in the marathon until 1972. Switzer faced personal harm while running the race as an official attempted to physically remove her from the race and tear off her number. She finished the race and continued to run marathons. In 2011, she was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame for creating a social revolution by empowering women through running.