Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports

by Kathrine Switzer, Unknown (Reading)

A new edition of a sports icon's memoir, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Kathrine Switzer's historic running of the Boston Marathon as the first woman to run.

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially run what was then the all-male Boston Marathon, infuriating one of the event's directors who attempted to violently eject her. In one of the most iconic sports moments, Switzer escaped and finished the race. She made history-and is poised to do it again on the fiftieth anniversary of that initial race, when she will run the 2017 Boston Marathon at age 70. Now a spokesperson for Reebok, Switzer is also the founder of 261 Fearless, a foundation dedicated to creating opportunities for women on all fronts, as this groundbreaking sports hero has done throughout her life.

"Kathrine Switzer is the Susan B. Anthony of women's marathoning."-Joan Benoit Samuelson, first Olympic gold medalist in the women's marathon

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir, Biography, Feminism, Biography Memoir, History

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Kathrine Switzer is the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry. She entered and completed the race in 1967, five years before women were officially allowed to compete in it.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m spoiled. I began running when I was a teenager, and have always taken it for granted as there for me when I need to relieve stress, boost my self-esteem (any day can be a good day if you got a great run in!), burn calories, get some quiet, get some fresh air, think, etc. I get frustrated at the occasional sexism obstacles I encounter in the MMA world – but after reading Marathon Woman I’m painfully aware of how minuscule these problems are. It was shocking, inspiring, empowering, and humiliating to learn that only a few decades ago women were told that distance running would make their uteruses fall out, and that the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon was assaulted by a race official (in 1967!!). I hadn’t even realized that women didn’t have a marathon event in the Olympics until 1984.

This book should be on the reading list of every young woman. While I found the best part to be how a handful of women changed the world for countless women to come, it was also hard to put down because it’s love story – it’s the tale of how Kathrine Switzer fell in love with running, built a career, and found happiness.

I found a lot of inspiration in this book – to run, to pursue my passions, to stand up for myself, and to do my part for women everywhere by living up to my potential. It’s horrendous and sad how many women have stood against the progress of women’s rights, and how many still do (because of their religions? jealousy? fear?). Ladies – we need to support each other and keep showing the world what we can do!

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was an unexpected page-turner. Kathrine Switzer was the second woman to run the Boston Marathon. In 1967, she checked the rules and found nothing explicitly preventing a woman from running, but, just in case, she signed up as K.V. Switzer. At mile-four a race official ran onto the course and tried to drag her off. Her boyfriend at the time shoved the offical aside and Switzer and her running friends took off. A photographer captured the incident. Switzer finished the race. The photos landed on the cover of many newspapers, and transformed her into an accidental beacon of women's rights. The book tells this and many other stories in her quest to bring the women's marathon to the Olympic games including the time she spent in Munich during the violence-marred Olympics.

This book served as an excellent reminder that many of the rights we women enjoy came from the untiring efforts of women like Switzer. It's a well-written, enjoyable ride.

[Amy Moritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being a sports writer, I don't have a lot of patience for sports books. This is one of the exceptions. Switzer was one of the first women to run in the then-all male Boston Marathon. She is a writer who became an athlete and running advocate (not a jock who became a writer) so her story telling is interesting and compelling. She throws in enough aspects of her personal life to make you sympathetic to her story but with just enough detail to keep it from being a tell-all. You have to be interested in running or sports to be interested in this book but her story is truly inspiring.

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Kathrine Switzer's memoir of her running career and her quest to make the women's marathon an Olympic event. She frankly admits she never considered herself a gifted runner. She just liked it and through vigorous training became an elite runner. She's the first woman who officially ran the Boston Marathon in 1967. Women had been running the marathon distance (26.2 miles) since the 1930's but had to jump out of the bushes at the start of the race. Kathrine didn't see a "men only" statement on the Boston Marathon application. It didn't say anything about gender at all. So she signed up as K.V. Switzer to avoid drawing attention to herself. During the race the Boston Marathon director tried to tear off her number but she ran around him. It helped that her boyfriend, a hammer thrower, body checked the official out of the way. Afterwards Katherine worked to make the marathon a women's Olympic sport. It was a struggle. The first Women's Marathon wasn't run until the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Kathrine is just a little older than me and I understand her upbringing during the 60's and 70's. She is feisty, pretty, and very feminine. She didn't mind a little "cheesecake" for the photographers when she was still racing. She wanted to assure potential women runners that they wouldn't grow a mustache or have their uterus fall out which was actually a fear this late in the 20th century. She is on her third husband and is very open in this memoir what was wrong with the first two. Her prose isn't very polished but it's not bad. Very, very entertaining.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining way to learn about feminism, running, and life in the 1960's-70's overall. It made me grateful for the opportunities I have, and made me want to start running again! It showed me how progress occurs, which felt particularly important right now as the world is going through a lot of difficult issues that we desperately need to make progress on. Most of all, this book reminded me that no person is perfect. While on the outside Kathrine Switzer's life seemed successful and grand, she was also dealing with a lot of personal storms.

The author does have a somewhat condescending tone as she talks about women who didn't run and how hard she worked to be independent despite the laziness of her ex-husbands, etc., and there were a surprising number of typos. Still, it was interesting to take a peek at a life and time so different from mine, made similar through our interests in feminism and running.

[Kathy Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marathoning had always been a sport for men until Kathrine Switzer. In Marathon Woman, she details the challenges she faced while trying to popularize the woman's marathon.
Switzer's passion for running exceeds her drive to support woman's running, and through this book she is able to illustrate just how important running has been in her life.
She tells an honest and hilarious story of how she was able to get her foot into the door of running, and spread the woman's marathon throughout the world.
This is one of the best running books I have read. I am completely in awe of Switzer and inspired to step up to the challenges of my own life.

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this was so poorly written, it was hard to follow at some points. Switzer really needed a good editor. I'm not entirely sure what her point was in this book either. Was it to brag about her own running journey (she does a lot of that)? Describe the path to the women's Olympic marathon (if so, she took a roundabout route for that)? Tell her life story (maybe)? Ultimately, it was disappointing.

[Julia Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! This book made me cry, made me mad, inspired me, and literally made me dream about running (when I read before bed I wouldn’t be able to sleep because I got too hyped). Really interesting to learn about the movement for the inclusion of women’s running. I didn’t realize that all of this started in the late 60’s and it was such a fraught situation. So so inspiring to learn about all of Switzer’s (and other women’s) work to push for women’s running events. She’s a new idol of mine!!


It was also just so cool to read about the ups/downs of training and racing from her “amateur” perspective. So many of her emotions, race day thoughts, experiences, and what she has gained from running really struck a cord with me. Really really loved it.

Favorite quotes:

“If the truth be known, running has given me everything: my health, career, confidence, creativity, religion, love, freedom, and fearlessness. In return, I have given it my total gratitude; indeed, I’ve given it my life.”

“When ordinary women run, they become extraordinary. That’s because running for women is transformational; it is instantly empowering—for every woman, every time.”

“It was never the pain of the running that bothered me, it was the prospect of not being brave enough to face it that always gave me the terrors.”

“This story is only beginning, because it is not just about running; it’s about changing women’s lives. Men’s too, for that matter. I will continue to try to tell it, just as I will continue to run, because running has given me—given many of us—everything. Especially ourselves.”

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's tone, below average writing skills, and generalized disparaging remarks about women made me take a break from this book.

I'll just give a review while I am still on p. 236:

This woman was a revolutionary in women's sports. I admire her for it AND others like her. She writes, at times, like she was the only woman who trained and ran like she did. She presents evidence to the contrary, but she continues throughout much of the book to paint a picture of herself as a lone ranger.

I tired of finding annoying passages that were fairly denigrating to other women. Additionally, her descriptions of romantic relationships read like adolescent tirades. That said, the story is still worthwhile.

We gave this book as a birthday gift to our sister-in-law. She is a marathoner, triathlete, and will soon be training for the Ironman. I thank all women who paved the way for female athletes.

[Ari Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. Kathrine Switzer is one of my heroes. She has an incredible memory, as her breathtaking race recaps from decades ago are more detailed than anything I can tell you about my run from this morning. It was also interesting to read about the ins and outs of race organization. And I’ll admit, her continuous use of “golly” and “gee” was corny at first, but quickly became endearing. By golly, I enjoyed this book.

[Ultra Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - I didn't know how much effort Kathrine Switzer put into activism to include women in sports. I only really know about her Boston Marathon participation when women weren't allowed. She seems quite the character to be honest, so there's some language here and there that makes you listen up. Overall I'm very thankful for the things she did to pave the way for us ladies. Plus if she was able to get under 3 hours, I might be too! I'm close!

[Kelly Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! So inspirational - she has done so much for women's marathoning.

[Maya Hurst-Mayr · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always cool to hear someone read their own book. I didn’t realize how much she did to make the women’s marathon an Olympic sport.

[Clare Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really inspirational life (despite the rubbish men in it), definitely an enjoyable and inspiring easy read

[Moi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved getting switzer's full, gossipy, lively story. she's got a way with narrative, and i was surprised and delighted when she didn't withhold details that really brought the story to life. at one point, she very dryly, "what? there's nothing to see here. i'm not implying anything"-ly mentions -- it's totally off-hand! -- that the man who became her first ex-husband had very, very tiny feet. i guffaw-laughed. and she slipped this in without sounding bitter and catty throughout the rest of the book, either.

she did an excellent job psychologically situating herself as a young girl in the fifties and sixties and what that meant for her choices to be an athlete, why she pushed for opportunities to participate in sports, and how that morphed into a lifelong quest to fight for women's opportunities. she wasn't naturally a radical; but the vitriol she was subjected to when she simply wanted to be active was stunning and MADE her a radical.

this is a very readable, engaging book, and it tells an incredibly important part of the story of women.

personally, i just inhaled the portions where she talks about the insane training she subjected herself to in order to become a world-class marathoner. switzer holds that she is not a particularly gifted athlete naturally and that the best of her accomplishments (winning the new york marathon, achieving a sub-3 marathon in a day when you could count on one hand the number of women in the world capable of doing same) were achieved through grit and LOTS and lots of hard work, workouts built on workouts over many years. i find this so, so, SO inspirational. what can any of us do if we only try?

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was unexpectedly very good! I usually have a hard time getting through autobiographies but was not the case with this one. Kathrine Switzer is famous for her 1967 running of the Boston Marathon with the bib "261" using her initials "K.V." to register for what had up to then been an all-male race...forever changing running, women in running, women in sports, and so on. I guess I hadn't realized how women were basically not welcome in sports until the mid-1970s. The women's Olympic Marathon wasn't even in existence until 1984! And this was largely the effort of Switzer, who remains active in women's running (broadcasting, often for the Boston Marathon!). The common thinking was that running anything over 2 miles would cause women to become obese and not be able to have children and so on...crazy to even think about! I hadn't realized all that Switzer had done for women in running and women in general. I was amazed by her determination (and actually liked her writing too!) throughout the book - I feel inspired! Was especially interesting to see how times progressed (Switzer's 1967 Boston was over 4:10, she eventually ran a 2:53 I believe...she won the 1974 NYC Marathon [when it still did Central Park loops]). Cool to see how small the running community is/how tightly knit is...she discussed Higdon, Fred Lebow (started NYC Marathon...Fred's Team!), Bill Rodgers, Pre, so many more). Highly recommend this book to runners and those that want to become inspired by a great woman!!!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had been on my "to-read" list so imagine my delight when I found out Kathrine Switzer was going to be the keynote speaker the night before the inaugural Bellin Women's Half Marathon in Green Bay. She was an entertaining speaker and very approachable for book signings and also pre-race, where she mingled among all the runners. I started running in the late 1970's and at that time had no idea that just a decade prior women were not even allowed to run marathons because of (among other reasons) that it would be harmful to their health! And health reasons and stress relief are the primary reasons that I run! This book was a very detailed memoir of Kathrine's experience running her first Boston marathon in 1967 where the race director tried to forcibly remove her from the race and the battles she waged over the years to gain acceptance of women's running (mostly marathons, but running in general). I found I would read a chapter or two, put it down, and pick it up again between books so while it held my interest, it was not a page turner (although she did tell a group of us that there were a few "steamy" scenes in the book!) After meeting her and reading her book, I am very grateful for the road she paved for me and many other women (pun intended!) - I took my running for granted but am now grateful for what Kathrine and others have done to make this possible. If you are a runner, particularly a female runner, I recommend this book.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I could tell that feminism had arrived, at last, at Wellesley. For when the women saw me the cheers became screams and wails and even some aggressive shouts of ‘Come on, sister! Do it! Do it! DO IT!”

I take for granted that I’ve had these words of encouragement ringing in my ears since birth.

I thought reading this book while training for my 4th and 5th marathons would be a good way to get through the upcoming week of monster millage, and I was not wrong. While not particularly well written, Kathryn Switzer’s memoir about her first marathon and her fight to bring the women’s marathon to the Olympics was eye opening and endearing.

It’s important to remember that this book is her reflection on personal events. Being an ardent feminist I found it frustrating, at points, that she felt the need to constantly state that her desire to run Boston was not a political statement, that she took pains to look “cute” during athletic endeavors, that she was cowed by so many of the men in her life, that she seemed so oblivious to the contentious time in which she was living. It’s in those terms that I regard this book as an unpretentious memoir, written by an accidental hero. I feel lucky that over time Switzer discovered how her personal choice, to run Boston, became a political statement for women all over the world and helped change perceptions on women’s abilities, physical and otherwise.

2.5 stars, really. C'mon, Goodreads! Can we get some half starts already?

[Kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been inspired by the infamous photos of K. Switzer and Jock Semple for ages and I enjoyed reading the story that led up to, and unfolded after, that event. If you're a runner, or a woman, you'll enjoy it. It was interesting to read about the evolution of the marathon from a time when races were small affairs where most people knew each other to the later years of corporate sponsorship and promotion, and beyond.

[Jo Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a long way women have come in the last 40 years - sad to know we still have a long way to go -- Not in the running arena (according to Kathrine) but in many aspects of this society. Good to know that our daughters are reading of the activities of those of our generation and the struggles to get to the freedom our daughters enjoy today.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book. Loved learning about the start of women's running, both with Kathrine's own story and those of other women in the 70s. Such and interesting time and topic. Absolutely loved it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this...it inspired me so much (I ended up running my first marathon a year or so after reading it).

[Mazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, inspiring, emotional. This is a must read for runners, especially those tackling the marathon.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Switzer is a decent writer and the story is an interesting one, but you have to be really, really interested in women's running to make it through 400 pages...

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so often forget what a privileged era I live in, and all the work that had gone on before me so that I can appreciate the advantages that I have. It blows my mind that women were not allowed to complete in many things in the past, including marathons, many times for no other reason than fear that their "fragile bodies" would be damaged, or that they wouldn't be able to reproduce (seriously, a genuine fear was of causing the uterus to detach!), as if that's a woman's only value in life.

While Switzer wasn't the first woman to ever run the Boston Marathon, she was the first to do so having registered and with a number, and the controversy surrounding her running sparked a decades-long battle to bring women's athletics, not just in running, to the place they are today, where we can celebrate marathons, swimming, track events, skiing... the myriad of things that women weren't allowed to do in the Olympics and otherwise in the past.

It's an amazing story, not only of Switzer's efforts but those of many women and men around her. I loved the many times she shared the camaraderie among runners, and the ready acceptance she experienced from the men with whom she trained and competed. She has a high regard for the men who accepted her as a runner, not just seeing her as a woman, and respected the incredibly hard work it takes to even FINISH a race like that, let alone compete to win and set records (though Switzer wasn't really even the best in her field, as she readily admits). I loved her stories of being inspired by others and providing inspiration to the next generation, not feeling upset when the next generation takes their place at center stage, but celebrating a whole new era of men and women who are bringing even more to their sport.

There are a couple of sections near the end where some of the stats get a little tedious, but for the most part, it's a very enjoyable, educational read.

[Doni Guanciale · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’ve all seen that picture on TikTok/social media of the first woman running in a marathon and a man is trying to drag her out of the race, well that person is Kathrine Switzer !! Even though I’m not a runner, I have a lot of respect for the them, but more importantly, I admire any female sport pioneers. I really liked how even though Kathrine was an elite runner, she fought for so many women that were coming after her prime. It feels like in society, a majority of people have forgotten to try to better the places for the people that come next, instead we are rooted in individualism and selfishness. Kathrine seems to have had real purpose in her life and propelled women’s running across the globe. Overall, a really great story and well told by a strong and successful advocate.

It’s nice to anchor ourselves in equality success stories during stressful social times.

"I always say that talent and capability is everywhere, all it needs is opportunity." ~ Kathrine Switzer

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

En esta biografía Katherine Switzer relata sus inicios como runner, nos pasea por sus entrenamientos, su vida personal, y nos da una visión de la importancia que tuvo al ser la primer mujer corriendo con número en el maratón de Boston — incluyendo qué la impulsó a hacerla y cómo lo logró.

Eso es solo el inicio del libro, luego nos relata desde su POV (como runner y reportera) diferentes maratones al rededor del mundo, y la lucha de tener espacios para mujeres hasta llevarlo a los Juegos Olímpicos.

Como runner, lo encontré inspirador e interesante; tal vez un poco tedioso en ciertas partes, más que nada en el final. Sin embargo, me parece muy relevante recordar y hacer consciencia de que las mujeres tenemos muy poco siendo reconocidas este deporte.

PD. Ya quiero correr mi primer maratón :)

[Gloria Hatcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I recently ran the Boston Marathon and have always been interested in K.V. Switzer's story as the first woman to "officially" run it ad her iconic photo. I really enjoyed the first 1/4th of this book, which outlined her childhood, her family life, and what motivated her to run and keep on running. I think any female runner will connect with a lot of her early story. However, more than half of the book went into excruciating detail about every marathon she ran and then organized thereafter - which became quite boring. The moral of the story is that after Katherine stopped running marathons herself, she made it her life mission to get the female marathon into the Olympics, which she ultimately had a large hand in accomplishing. While her story is inspiring and incredible, the detail of each individual race lost my interest in the overall arch.

[Chris Bumgardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like I said on IG, Kathrine Switzer has done so much to enable women's sports. Early in life, her iconic run in the Boston 1967 Marathon but a female athlete on newspapers all over the US.
Her biggest impact, however, was tying sponsorship to women's events, giving it the necessary financial boost to succeed. Her work with Avon was an insane vision and resulted in the eventual inclusion of the women's marathon event in the 1984 Olympics.

Like I said on IG, I was disappointed in her negative language about athletes who weren't in "running shape". It really wasn't inclusive/helpful, and honestly surprised me, since this book was written in 2017.

[Andrés Zelada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro autobiográfico escrito por una persona a la que no conocía y que revolucionó un campo en el cual no tengo un interés particular. Son, también, 400 páginas sobre correr y organizar maratones. La verdad es que no me explico cómo es que me he sorprendido pasando páginas como si no hubiera un mañana, pero ha sido así. Ahora sé más sobre la maratón, sobre la historia del deporte femenino y sobre Kathrine Switzer, que nunca está de más.

La traducción es excelente.