Imagine a time when women did not run in road races. Imagine a time when women were told distance running would harm their health. Imagine a time when running in a marathon meant risking being jeered at or even assaulted. This time was in my lifetime. I was born in...
On 3rd August 1980, 200 women from 27 countries lined up in Battersea Park in London to run a marathon: the third Avon International Marathon. Maureen Fitzpatrick was one of those women, excitedly waiting at the start and hoping to complete her first marathon at the...
In March I was fortunate to have the chance to meet Mara Yamauchi, the UK's second-fastest marathon runner, when she came to Nottingham to talk to England Athletics Run Leaders about coaching and training. Mara Yamauchi was inspired to run by watching the Los Angeles...
On a sunny day in August 1980 200 women from 27 countries lined up in Battersea Park in London to run a marathon. It was the first time the city's streets had ever been closed for a race. It was the 3rd August. Two days before the men's marathon had taken place at the...
American women love to run marathons. In 2014 43% of marathon finishers in US races were women, the highest percentage of any country in the world. In the UK the figure is 34%. And American women love half marathons even more than marathons. They outnumber male...
Kathrine Switzer is one of the most famous endurance runners of the twentieth century – not for her performances but for a milestone event. In 1967 she was the first woman to officially enter and complete the Boston Marathon, one of the longest-established marathon...
Like many other women runners in their fifties I hope to be able to continue running into my sixties and seventies. I started running in 2011 at a time of a big surge in the popularity of running, particularly amongst women. I’ve benefited from lots of support and...