7 Apr 2023 | Women's ultrarunning history |
This week marks 100 years since the remarkable Mothers’ Marathon and I’d like to invite you to take a moment to reflect on the astounding achievement of five exceptional women: Lily Groom; Rose Firmager; Alice Sunderland; Ada May Edwards and Margaret Oliver. I am...
10 Dec 2022 | Women's marathon history |
The official programme for the inaugural London Marathon in 1981 described Leslie Watson as “the Queen of the Roads”. Her prolific racing led to her becoming the public face of the women’s marathon in the UK. Watson had run over 40 marathons in six years. She had...
2 Nov 2022 | Women's endurance running history, Women's marathon history |
In October I was invited onto the Runner’s World UK podcast to talk about “five women who changed running forever”. It’s a great topic for a sports historian, but also quite difficult to choose just five. As Runner’s World magazine is...
31 Aug 2022 | Women's endurance running history |
When Marea Hartman died in 1994, she had been involved in the governance and administration of women’s athletics in England for nearly 60 years. One of her colleagues on the Women’s Amateur Athletic Association (WAAA), Vera Searle, regarded her as...
2 Jul 2022 | Women's endurance running history |
2022 marks the Centenary of the Women’s Amateur Athletic Assocation (WAAA). The WAAA was formed in 1922 to meet a growing demand for organised competition for women in England. The 1920s were an exciting time for women’s athletics as international...
