They tried stopping her running, and look what happened 50 years later
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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I loved her resilience, you can feel it through this story through the years:
>She registered to participate under the name K.V. Schwitzer. It’s hard to tell if it’s a man or a woman. It may be a tricky move, or maybe just a coincidence. At least, the athlete herself claims that she signed her name everywhere, even indicating her authorship in the university newspaper. She was assigned the number 261.
>At the first mile of the course Schwitzer was stopped by one of the organizers – Jock Semple. He was very rude to the athlete, tried to forcefully remove her from the marathon. And this despite the fact that in the rules of the Boston Marathon there were no instructions about the field of participants! Semple was stopped by Catherine’s boyfriend.
It’s all about doing what you like and not stopping
She said, “We women are told all the time, ‘You can’t make it, you don’t belong here, you have the wrong skin color, you’re too fat, you’re not an athlete, you can’t do it.’” This lady proved it to everyone!
I cannot even fathom the thought process that some of those men, and I am certain, other women, went into to think denying a woman the right to run was *correct*.
The Suffragette movement had a massive opposition of other women who wanted to continue promotion of the idea that women were not equal and did not need the vote.
I am probably biased; but I just cannot visualise how I would have not have held the same views I hold today if I was born then. It seems crazy to me that society just blithely supported the suppression of people based on criteria like this.
There is an interesting parallel that played out in the 1960’s about the female sexual revolution; pick up some of Nancy Friday’s early books to see how *unclean* and *abused* women were for even admitting they fantasised or wanted to enjoy sex. It took some female pioneers to push through the barrier and build a community of like-minded people.
Just pathetic how a lot of men used to and still are threatened by women. 🙄
50 years later and she’s still awesome! 🙂
The man trying to rip off her number is Jock Semple. Later in life, he became a strong advocate for women in running and made amends with Katherine Switzer, the woman in the photo. According to Switzer, they eventually became “the best of friends.”
every time I don’t want to go jogging in the morning, stories like this really inspire me
Looks like Putin is protecting her from Red Forman who tries to stop her
Imagine being so fragile about being a man, you get genuinely offended that a woman…runs… That she has legs and she runs…
Geez can’t believe this isnt so long ago
Its insane to think how recent all this crap was, and it also includes the discrimination against blacks. People alive today were harassed and prosecuted for doing things that we all take for granted.
Only 50 years.. the fight is long from over girls
Katherine Switzer is a true legend. She paved the way for women in sports.
Not they, the guy in the marathon outfit is stopping the other guy from grabbing her.
This likely refers to the story of Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967. At the time, women weren’t allowed to compete in marathons, but Kathrine signed up using her initials, “K.V. Switzer.”
During the race, an official tried to physically remove her from the course, but her boyfriend and other runners shielded her. Kathrine finished the marathon, breaking barriers for women in sports.
Fast-forward 50 years: in 2017, at the age of 70, she ran the Boston Marathon again, proudly wearing her original bib number, 261, which has since been retired in her honor. Her perseverance sparked a movement, helping ensure women could compete equally in marathons worldwide.
She doesn’t look 70. Good for her 👏
I just cannot for the life of me wrap my head around the mindset of someone who can be so upset about a woman running a race that they would go out of their way to chase her down and try and physically restrain her from running it. Like I get assholes being upset about it and grumbling. Assholes are a dime a dozen… But to be so mad that they have to physically stop her? That just takes a whole other level of effort to your hate my brain just has a problem rationalizing. Maybe I am just too lazy so if I was a hateful asshole I’d be a lazy hateful asshole? Who knows but I just don’t get it.
Why are some men so threatened by women? Why do some men hate women?
Let us hope it doesn’t change in the next few years.
Good for her! 👏 Boo to all those men.
Thats awesome
Wow. Pretty amazing.
I didnt know about this story. Genuine q, what was the reason women are excluded in the race, except for misogyny, or are there no other reason?
Wow – that lady is 70?
Toxic, fragile masculinity is so gross
Are these men brain damaged?
She’s literally the definition of unstoppable. Absolute queen energy.
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Ie was expecting a picture of Kelly bensimone
She couldn’t run because she was a woman. Crazy. Fair play to her.
Lovely story. Thank you.
Ok?
The more someone want to stop you from doing something, the more you want to do it
Guy to her left looks like Putin lol
Men running at the marathon in the 60’s defended her from being removed from the race .That’s how she’s was able to continue running
Ran through my Oppression
As long as she’s running to the kitchen to make me a sandwich.
The podcast The Dollop has a really great episode around this incident.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-dollop-with-dave-anthony-and-gareth-reynolds/id643055307?i=1000369587141
Why women cant run in a marathon lol ? Or couldnt
They got the freedom to run but won’t the way, lost their freedom to choose.
They must not have tried that hard, it takes one, maybe two men to tackle her to the ground. It’s good that they didn’t but seriously if you are gonna try, try your best.
shows how recent these civil rights are. as someone put it before “not even a lifetime ago”
“They”, with no mention of the man defending her from the guy in black.
Who cares
50 years later and still can’t let it go. That’s women I guess.
Yawn