About Kathrine

Kathrine Switzer has been an iconic athlete and leader in the women’s sports movement for four decades.  She is the woman who broke the gender barrier at the previously all-male Boston Marathon in 1967, an incident that revolutionized the sports world when she was physically attacked by the race director for wearing official bib numbers in the race. (See photos) Switzer was radicalized by the incident and went on run 35 marathons, set a personal best of 2:51 and to win the 1974 New York City Marathon. Turning her focus to women’s equality, she created the Avon International Running Circuit for over a million women in 27 countries, and was a leader in the drive to get the women’s marathon into the Olympic Games. Switzer now works as a television broadcaster, author and public speaker. She has covered all the major marathons in North America as well as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and won the first of several Emmy awards in 1997. Her latest book, a memoir entitled MARATHON WOMAN, is presently electrifying the running world. Other books include Running and Walking for Women Over 40 and 26.2 Marathon Stories, co-authored with her husband, well-known author and masters runner Roger Robinson.  Kathrine has run for over 50 years, and has competed in hundreds of races. Presently, she is training for her first marathon run in 34 years.

A Few of Kathrine Switzer’s Career Highlights:

· Winner, 1974 NYC Marathon.

· Broke Gender Barrier at 1967 Boston Marathon

· Emmy Award-winning TV commentator

· Author, MARATHON WOMAN (DaCapo Press), Running and Walking for Women Over 40, the Road to Sanity and Vanity (St. Martin’s Press), co-author 26.2 Marathon Stories (Rodale Press)

· Founder and Director, Avon Running Global Women’s Circuit

· Winner of Abebe Bikila Award for Global Contribution to Sport of Running from New York Road Runners

· First class of inductees into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame

· Named one of the Visionaries of the Century (2000) by Runners World Magazine

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