Posted on Mar 4, 2023
Honoring Bobbi Gibb – First Women to Run the Boston Marathon
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“When she applied to run in the Boston Marathon in 1966 they rejected her saying: “Women are not physiologically able to run a marathon, and we can’t take the liability.”
On the day of the marathon, Bobbi Gibb hid in the bushes and waited for the race to begin. When about half of the runners had gone past she jumped in.
She wore her brother’s Bermuda shorts, a pair of boy’s sneakers, a bathing suit, and a sweatshirt. As she took off into the swarm of runners, Gibb started to feel overheated, but she didn’t remove her hoodie. “I knew if they saw me, they were going to try to stop me,” she said. “I even thought I might be arrested.”
It didn’t take long for male runners in Gibb’s vicinity to realize that she was not another man. Gibb expected them to shoulder her off the road, or call out to the police. Instead, the other runners told her that if anyone tried to interfere with her race, they would put a stop to it. Finally feeling secure and assured, Gibb took off her sweatshirt.
On the day of the marathon, Bobbi Gibb hid in the bushes and waited for the race to begin. When about half of the runners had gone past she jumped in.
She wore her brother’s Bermuda shorts, a pair of boy’s sneakers, a bathing suit, and a sweatshirt. As she took off into the swarm of runners, Gibb started to feel overheated, but she didn’t remove her hoodie. “I knew if they saw me, they were going to try to stop me,” she said. “I even thought I might be arrested.”
It didn’t take long for male runners in Gibb’s vicinity to realize that she was not another man. Gibb expected them to shoulder her off the road, or call out to the police. Instead, the other runners told her that if anyone tried to interfere with her race, they would put a stop to it. Finally feeling secure and assured, Gibb took off her sweatshirt.
Honoring Bobbi Gibb – First Women to Run the Boston Marathon
Posted from stationhypo.com
Running
Marathons
Boston
Distance Running
American History
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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She certainly proved a woman could run a marathon and did so. I remember Her running that Marathon. My brother had actually run the Boston Marathon Himself six times and was always in the top 500 finishers. As I recall one of the times We went to see Him run He came in at 2 Hours, 41 Minutes and 11 seconds. he could do something I've never been able to do or even try, run a Marathon. My longest run without stopping was Ten Miles. I had run a few times with My brother but only five or six miles. I was Co-Captain of My College Cross Country team and the events were all Five miles there which took Me around 29 minutes to run.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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My marathon hero is Rosie Ruiz. The girl who took the subway for part of the race. :)
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