For decades, women were told that running long distances was dangerous for their health—some even claimed it could make their uterus fall out! Until 1972, women were officially banned from running marathons in many places, including the prestigious Boston Marathon. But in 1967, Kathrine Switzer registered under her initials and became the first woman to run the race—with officials physically trying to stop her mid-run!
Her bold move, along with other female athletes challenging the system, helped break barriers in sports. Thanks to their fight, women’s marathons were finally added to the Olympics in 1984. Today, women dominate marathons worldwide, proving that strength has no gender!