The decision that changed everything

As the dust settles on the 2025 Boston and London Marathons, we’re reminded of what makes these races so powerful — the spirit of play, purpose and potential, the courage…

And the moments that make history.

Before gels and GPS watches, there was 1967, and a 20-year-old journalism student at Syracuse University by the name of Kathrine Switzer.

“It was really quite socially objectionable for women to participate in sports because they looked arduous,” Kathrine recalls. 

“Of course, most women were very frightened of that image because their whole being was about being feminine and attracting the opposite sex, and being accepted. I thought they were missing out on this wonderful sense of speed, strength and empowerment.”

At the time, there was no women’s running team at Syracuse University (or anywhere else for that matter), so Kathrine began to train with the men’s cross-country team, where she met Arnie Briggs; a 50-year-old veteran of 15 Boston Marathons, and the University’s mailman.

"He was excited to see a woman—the first—come out to run, and took slowpoke me under his training wing. To cajole me through tough evening sessions like this, Arnie told and retold stories of famous Bostons. I loved listening to them, until this night when I snapped and said, “Oh, let’s quit talking about the Boston Marathon and run the damn thing!”

Arnie balked. “No woman can run the Boston marathon.”

“Why not?” Kathrine fired back, “I’m running 10 miles a night!”

He wasn’t even convinced in hearing of Roberta Gibb, who’d run Boston the year before without an official bib. But, “If any woman could do it, you could,” he added. 

“If you ran the distance in practice, I’d be the first to take you to Boston.”

Challenge accepted. Kathrine now had a coach, a training partner, a plan and a goal: the biggest race in the world.

They pushed harder in training, and 3 weeks before the marathon, Kathrine ran a 26-mile trial - even dragging Arnie on for another 5 miles, just for good measure! The very next day, she registered for Boston as K.V. Switzer, the way she always signed her name. No one questioned the initials, and bib 261 was now hers.

Race day came on April 19, 1967, with cold, wet and windy conditions. But the energy was electric, with fellow competitors expressing their excitement and support for Kathrine, who would be running with Arnie and boyfriend Tom Miller.

But then came the press truck, with cameras flashing and reporters bellowing. What are you doing here? What are you trying to prove? When are you going to drop out?

Next moment, race director Jock Semple is out on the track, lunging at Kathrine and grabbing at her bib: “Get the hell out of my race, and give me those numbers!”

Kathrine didn’t stop, and Tom - an American football player - barrelled into Semple, sending him flying.

“We all got scared but my coach just said: Run like hell!

I just couldn’t understand why he was so angry, and then I thought maybe I had done something wrong. But at that moment, I got really angry myself, which was great, because I turned to my coach and I said, I’m going to finish this race on my hands and knees, if I have to.

Because if I don’t finish this race, nobody’s going to believe women can do it, and they’re not going to believe women deserve to be here.

I have to finish this race.”

Kathrine Switzer |  Marathon runner, Author and Pioneer for Women’s Sports

She did exactly that, completing the race in 4 hours and 20 minutes. Not just becoming the first woman to register and complete Boston, but beginning a powerful legacy with global impact.

What we love about this story is that for 26.2 miles, Kathrine didn’t just put one foot in front of the other (and dodge all kinds of distractions - quite literally).

She put an entire generation on her back and carried them toward something bigger: belief, equality, and the freedom to own your story.

Boston was never just about the miles. It was about agency, the chance to turn adversity into possibility. And discovering one of the most powerful perspective shifts of all:

I decide.

For more about Kathrine’s impact, from Boston to the Olympics and beyond, check out our latest video:

Ready to unlock your own potential? Our 'A-Game' program can help you discover that all powerful shift from They decide 👉 I decide.