That brave decision was more than just defiance. She began the race mid-way through the pack and never looked back. The day of the 1966 Boston Marathon, Gibb hid in the bushes at the start, terrified that she would get caught and arrested by police for attempting to run a race that she was barred from running. "Women are not physiologically able to run a marathon, and furthermore, women are not allowed to run more than 1.5 miles in a race," Gibb recalled of the harsh response from the meet directors. At the time it was a men's-only competition, but nevertheless, Gibb registered in 1966 and received a stinging rejection. She even trained for the 26.2-mile effort by running in various states during a cross country road trip in her Volkswagon van. In 1964, Gibb watched the Boston Marathon for the first time and immediately fell in love with the race. It's an activity that she says gives her "this feeling of joy and openness….of being alive." Gibb has loved running since she was a kid.
At Thursday's Boston Marathon press conference, Gibb and Switzer were honored as pioneers in the sport. Gibb will serve as a Grand Marshal of the 2017 event, 51 years after becoming the first woman to complete the race. On Monday, Switzer will compete in this year's Boston Marathon, marking the 50th anniversary of her historic marathon debut in 1967. Their decisions to become the first women to run the Boston Marathon were made in different ways but with the same goal in mind - to give women the opportunity to run and compete. BOSTON - Fifty years ago, Bobbi Gibb and Kathrine Switzer made unpopular decisions that impacted not just their lives but also the lives of millions of women.
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