Bobbi Gibb: The Boston Marathon pioneer who raced a lie

Source: BBC

Bobbi Gibb: The Boston Marathon pioneer who raced a lie

28 August 2023 Athletics

By Olivier Guiberteau
BBC Sport

Those nine words leapt off the paper like a slap to the face. "The audacity," thought Roberta 'Bobbi' Gibb.

The letter she held was the response to her request for an official entry to run the 1966 Boston Marathon - a flat-out refusal, but also a derogatory sideswipe of her capabilities as a woman, particularly given she was now running up to 40 miles at a stretch.

The 1960s were mid-swing, but attitudes towards female athletes and their participation in long-distance running remained archaic. The question of whether women could run 26.2 miles had been answered countless times before, and yet female runners remained barred from practically every marathon event around the world.

"To hell with them," she thought as she crumpled the letter and threw it on the floor. Bobbi Gibb would run the Boston Marathon - whether they'd let her or not.

Ask Google who was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon and you'll find the name, Kathrine Switzer, ...

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/66615089


Gibb, seen running the 1967 race, is now recognised as a three-time winner of Boston Marathon