...The first marathon was run at the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. (“Marathon History”) For seventy years, running a marathon was strictly a men-only activity. That was until the 1967 Boston Marathon, when the name K.V. Switzer showed up on a marathon registration. (“Kathrine Switzer Biography”) Little did the race officials know, K.V. Switzer was actually Katherine Virginia Switzer. In the pictures shown of the race that day, it is evident that Switzer was attacked by race officials for her heroic act for women in sports. Even though a grey sweat suit is not particularly the most noble and valiant look, seeing Switzer open a new window for women’s running is courageous enough to be considered a hero for any runner to this day. Although these photos are not posed, clear acts of heroism can be depicted. In the chosen pictures, Switzer is running in the 1967 Boston Marathon. Race official Jock Semple, pictured in black, is seen chasing after Switzer. Switzer claimed Semple yelled, “Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers.” Switzer’s boyfriend, Tom Miler, then shoved Semple aside, letting Switzer continue on. When asked why she didn’t drop out, Switzer states, “I knew if I did that no one would...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...in sports, particularly in Marathons was based on several ideologies that circulated during the second half of the 19th century. These ideologies led women distance runners to join together in an effort that would forever change women’s participation in marathons. By the 1970’s, the Olympic Marathon had come a long way from the dusty roads of Athens. Yet women were still not allowed to compete and the struggle to establish a women’s Olympic Marathon was itself something of a long distance race. Before the 1980s, there were no women’s distance races in the Olympics. In the Moscow Games, the longest race for women was the 1,500 meters, which had been instituted in 1972. Women had been excluded from track and field competition altogether until 1928, when the longest race was the 800 meters. Despite a world record by winner Lina Radke of Germany, many of the competitors had not properly prepared for the race and several collapsed in exhaustion. This let Olympic organizers to consider the race too strenuous for the elimination of all women’s competition from the Games. This drastic move was not taken, but until 1960, when the 800 meters reappeared, no race over 200 meters was contested by women in the Olympics. This is not to say there was no tradition of women’s long-distance running. Women had been forbidden from participating in the ancient Olympics. A women who was caught even as a spectator at the Games could face execution. But women in ancient Greece held their...
Words: 2721 - Pages: 11
...62118 0/nm 1/n1 2/nm 3/nm 4/nm 5/nm 6/nm 7/nm 8/nm 9/nm 1990s 0th/pt 1st/p 1th/tc 2nd/p 2th/tc 3rd/p 3th/tc 4th/pt 5th/pt 6th/pt 7th/pt 8th/pt 9th/pt 0s/pt a A AA AAA Aachen/M aardvark/SM Aaren/M Aarhus/M Aarika/M Aaron/M AB aback abacus/SM abaft Abagael/M Abagail/M abalone/SM abandoner/M abandon/LGDRS abandonment/SM abase/LGDSR abasement/S abaser/M abashed/UY abashment/MS abash/SDLG abate/DSRLG abated/U abatement/MS abater/M abattoir/SM Abba/M Abbe/M abbé/S abbess/SM Abbey/M abbey/MS Abbie/M Abbi/M Abbot/M abbot/MS Abbott/M abbr abbrev abbreviated/UA abbreviates/A abbreviate/XDSNG abbreviating/A abbreviation/M Abbye/M Abby/M ABC/M Abdel/M abdicate/NGDSX abdication/M abdomen/SM abdominal/YS abduct/DGS abduction/SM abductor/SM Abdul/M ab/DY abeam Abelard/M Abel/M Abelson/M Abe/M Aberdeen/M Abernathy/M aberrant/YS aberrational aberration/SM abet/S abetted abetting abettor/SM Abeu/M abeyance/MS abeyant Abey/M abhorred abhorrence/MS abhorrent/Y abhorrer/M abhorring abhor/S abidance/MS abide/JGSR abider/M abiding/Y Abidjan/M Abie/M Abigael/M Abigail/M Abigale/M Abilene/M ability/IMES abjection/MS abjectness/SM abject/SGPDY abjuration/SM abjuratory abjurer/M abjure/ZGSRD ablate/VGNSDX ablation/M ablative/SY ablaze abler/E ables/E ablest able/U abloom ablution/MS Ab/M ABM/S abnegate/NGSDX abnegation/M Abner/M abnormality/SM abnormal/SY aboard ...
Words: 113589 - Pages: 455
