First woman to run Boston Marathon recounts how she snuck into all-men’s race in 1966

March 15, 2023

Gibb, a native of Winchester, Massachusetts, is a legend in the sport of distance running, as she is the first woman to ever run and complete the Boston Marathon.

In 1966, the Boston Marathon was still an all-men’s race, but Gibb applied to run in it anyway. She received a letter back in response to her application that denied her entry and read: “Women are not physiologically able to run marathon distances. We can’t take the medical liability.” WCVB