Episode 80: Bobbi Gibb, the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon, Shares Why Representation Matters

In 1966, Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb, dressed in a baseball hat and sweatshirt in an attempt to disguise herself as a man, hid in the bushes near the start line of the Boston Marathon. When the gun went off, Bobbi jumped out of the bushes and started running as an unofficial entrant (women were not allowed to run until 1972). As Bobbi made the journey from Hopkinton to Boston, she knew that her life had changed forever. Bobbi crossed the finish line in 3:21 in 1966 to win the race. She won again in 1967 (Kathrine Switzer, who also ran that year and finished behind Bobbi, was the first registered entrant to run the race), and again in 1968. In Bobbi's words, when she decided to run that day as an unregistered runner, she "wanted to change the way people thought about women. I wanted to change that, because I just couldn’t live in a world like this.” In addition to being a pioneer in running, Bobbi is a scientist, artist, lawyer, mother, author, and humanitarian. At age 78, Bobbi continue to run every day "for about an hour," and in her spare time, she creates sculptures, including a sculpture that will soon be displayed in Hopkinton...of Bobbi herself. We hope that you enjoy this conversation and feel inspired by Bobbi's courage and her determination to live boldly and curiously and dream big. Thank you to Oofos Footwear for sponsoring the podcast and to our editor, Erin Bryant. Show Notes: Bobbi Gibb Marathon Sculpture Project: (https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/20190103/bobbi-gibb-sculpture-to-commemorate-womens-running-history) First Ladies of Running By Amby Burfoot (https://www.amazon.com/First-Ladies-Running-Inspiring-Visionaries/dp/1609615646) Bobbi's book, To Boston with Love (https://www.amazon.com/Boston-Love-Bobbi-Gibb/dp/1533673535) Bobbi's Facebook page: (https://www.facebook.com/BobbiGibbMarathonSculptureProject) How to find us: Facebook: www.facebook.com/runfartherfaster Instagram: @runfartherandfaster Website: runfartherandfaster.com Twitter: @runfartherfast