The entire sequence was captured on film by the press corps bus, riding just ahead of Switzer's group. "Seeing that face scared the s- out of me," she said.īefore Semple could rip off Switzer's numbers, Miller, a 235-pound athlete (he was a football player and hammer thrower), laid a cross-body block on Semple, sending him to the side of the road in a heap.
He got his hands on her shoulders and screamed "Give me those numbers and get the hell out of my race!" The wild look in his eyes still haunts Switzer. In a rage, race director Jock Semple came lunging at her. Switzer, her boyfriend, Tom Miller, and Briggs were two miles into the marathon when officials tried to evict her from the course. Switzer was a very cool signature," she said. Switzer, as was her habit, and was issued No. So she entered the race using her initials, K.V. There weren't in those days, the idea of women running the 26.2-mile distance was so foreign, the rulebook made no mention of them. She and her coach, Arnie Briggs, had checked to see whether there were any rules prohibiting women from entering. She had trained for months, even completing a 30-miler, to be sure she could finish. Switzer, at the time a 19-year-old journalism major at Syracuse University, simply loved running. When officials noticed a woman in the race, they launched an ugly attack - which today is one of the most famous moments in the race's 115-year history - to get her off the course. Push comes to shoveįorty-five years ago, Switzer ran the race for the first time and tried to keep a low profile. I've broadcast every televised edition of the Boston Marathon." "Can you imagine? It's really been amazing. "This is my 30th consecutive year," Switzer said.
In Boston more than any other place, fans will recognize her on the street, come up and shake her hand. She'll autograph copies of her book, "Marathon Woman," which came out in 2007. When she's not working, Switzer will mingle on the floor of the race expo, dole out advice and pose for pictures with thousands of runners. She'll unpack in a hotel, start interviewing elite women runners and prep for her television commentating job for the race. This week, as she has for three decades, Kathrine Switzer will make her happy homecoming at the Boston Marathon. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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