04/20/2026
59 years ago today, something changed forever.
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer lined up at the Boston Marathon,not as a rebel, but as a runner. She entered as K.V. Switzer, and became the first woman officially given a bib number in a race that never intended to include her.
About 4 miles in, race official Jock Semple tried to physically remove her from the course. But in that moment, everything shifted. Her boyfriend, Tom Miller, stepped in and blocked himprotecting not just Kathrine, but the future of women in sport.
She kept running.
She finished.
And history could never go back.
Five years later, in 1972, women were finally allowed to officially enter the Boston Marathon.
But today isn’t just about what happened…
It’s about who made it possible.
It’s about the women who ran without permission.
The women who were told “no” and showed up anyway.
The women who endured judgment, doubt, and resistance so others wouldn’t have to.
Because of them, starting lines look different today.
Because of them, races feel like home.
Because of them, generations of women get to run freely, proudly, and without fear.
So today, we don’t just remember.
We honor. We thank. We carry it forward.
To the first women who cleared the path
we see you, we run because of you, and we will never forget
