A look at the old days...
When Women Weren't Allowed to Run
by Dana-Susan Crews
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| Boston Marathon race officials attempting to remove Kathrine Switzer from the course in 1967 |
It may seem hard to believe in now, but there was a time (and it wasn't all that long ago) when ladies were not permitted to run marathons. In fact, anyone reading this who was alive in the year 1984 will likely remember it as the first year there was a women's marathon at the Olympic Games.
So, ladies, here's a little glimpse into the history of women who fought a long, hard battle to prove how tough we are as endurance athletes...
Women were forbidden from participating in the ancient Olympics and even if a woman was a spectator at the Games, she faced execution! That did not mean that women in ancient Greece didn't run though. To honor the goddess Hera, every five years, they held a festival which included a short footrace.
When the modern Olympic Games returned in 1896, once again, women were excluded. That did not stop some women from running the marathon course though. Stamatis Rovithi was the first known woman to cover the course from Marathon to Athens. The next month, a woman called Melpomene tried to enter the Olympic Marathon but was denied. So, she became a "bandit" and ran it anyway, finishing an hour and a half after Spiridon Louis won. Because she was barred from entering the stadium to finish, she ran her final lap around the outside of the building.
The first woman to record an official time in a marathon was Violet Piercy of Great Britain. Her time of 3:40:22 was recorded on October 3, 1926. Her record stood for 37 years until December 16, 1963 when American Merry Lepper ran in a time of 3:37:07.
Before the 1980s, the longest race a woman could participate in was the 1500 meters which began in 1972 at the Olympic Games in Moscow. Before that, the longest distance for women was the 800 meters which was instituted in 1928. Part of the reason for the ban on women was the fact that many competitors had not properly trained for the races and would collapse, leading race organizers to believe running too strenuous for the female body.
One of the greatest plights of female runners was at the Boston Marathon. In 1897, Boston began its event to honor Paul Revere. Women were not permitted to run until 1972, but that did not keep them from running it. They had all kinds of tricks for jumping in to run the course. In 1966 Roberta Gibb hid behind a bush at the start line before sneaking onto the course and finishing the race in an unofficial time of 3:21:25.
The next year, one of the most famous ladies in marathon history joined Gibb. Wearing race number 261, Kathrine Switzer, registered as "K.V. Switzer", ran the race. It wasn't until about four miles into the race that a race official, realizing Switzer was a woman, tried to remove her from the course. Her football player boyfriend from Syracuse University where Switzer was a student, stepped in and knocked down the official. Later that day, 20-year-old Switzer finished in a time of 4:20. That same year, Gibb returned to finish in 3:27:17. Neither of these times was official, but the ladies were proving that women could indeed run marathons.
"I think it's time to change the rules," said Switzer following the race. And the public debate was heating up. This was a time in the United States when the women's liberation movement was growing and change was definitely on the horizon.
In 1972, women were finally permitted to run the Boston Marathon. In 1973, Germany held the first all women's marathon competition. And with the 1980 Olympic Games coming up, race organizers once again debated whether or not women should be allowed to compete. Researchers and physicians joined the argument, some suggesting that long distance running would damage the female reproductive system and that the stress of running would harm the female body which was more frail than a male body.
By this time, Kathrine Switzer was a booming voice for female marathoners. She was the director of the Women's Sports Foundation and along with an Avon executive, they hosted the 1978 Avon International Marathon.
In 1979, Grete Waitz won the women's division of the New York City Marathon in a time of 2:27:33, making her the first woman to break the 2:30 time.
Finally, in 1980, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) issued an official statement: "There exists no conclusive scientific or medical evidence that long distance running is contraindicated for the healthy, trained female athlete. The ACSM recommends that females be allowed to compete at the national and international level in the same distances in which their male counterparts compete".
In 1981, Kathrine Switzer traveled to Los Angeles to appear before the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee to argue on behalf of a women's marathon competition. On February 23, 1981 at 6:30 p.m. the IOC announced its approval of the women's marathon at the 1984 Olympic Games!
Joan Benoit was the first woman to win the Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles in 1984. Her time was 2:24:52.
Today, women dominate the field at marathon events. Ladies, there were so very many who paved the way. Today, women run marathons, compete at Ironman races, and prove over and over that the female body is anything but frail. Thank you to all the wonderful women of the past for making this sport something we can all do today!
Check out this video with Kathrine Switzer describing her first running of the Boston Marathon...
Running Shoes of the Past
by Dana-Susan Crews
Running shoes have gone through many changes over the years. Check out the evolution of running shoes in the images below (via Runner's World Magazine)...
Runner's World
by Dana-Susan Crews
1969 was a big year. Richard Nixon was president. The Vietnam War was in full force. More than half a million people gathered in Woodstock, NY for a concert that featured some pretty amazing talent. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid premiered. The New York Jets won the Super Bowl, the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.
Yes, lots of exciting things were happening in the world. Among them was the very first edition of a running magazine called Distance Running News. The following year, the magazine's name changed to "Runner's World" and as of today, well over 500 editions of the magazine have been published.
John "The Penguin" Bingham got his start as a running columnist at Runner's World. Team In Training (one of my all-time favorite charities to work for) participants have been featured many times in the magazine over the years. My own family was featured back in June 2008. In the summer of 2013, an article in the magazine featured the boom of charity running and mentioned the founder of TNT, Bruce Cleland. You can read that article HERE.
The sport of running was once considered something for the elite only. Its popularity has steadily increased over the years. Magazines like Runner's World are now more popular than ever, especially the online versions. As runners, we continue to learn more and more from articles on running form, stretching, nutrition, shoes, and much more.
Celebrities, politicians, athletes, extraordinary heroes, and common people have graced the cover of Runner's World over the years. Check out some of these covers...
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| President George W. Bush, a marathoner, graced the cover in October 2002 |
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| Will Ferrell struck a pose while running the Boston Marathon and made the cover in March 2003 |
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| Sarah Reinertsen made the cover in December 2004. The next year she became the first above the knee amputee to compete at Ironman in Kona. |
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| Meb Keflezighi on the May 2010 cover |
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| The December 2013 cover featured the "November Project", a brand of running tribes fueled by fun, camaraderie and social media. |
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| The July 2013 magazine honored the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Its cover reminded us all of the strength and great bond of the running community. |
Swimsuits of the Past
by Dana-Susan Crews
Swimsuits have changed an awful lot over the years. It's hard to say exactly when the swimsuit was invented, but the first recorded use of swim wear was in Greece in 350 B.C.
During the 18th century, spas where people engaged in public bathing began to grow in popularity, but modesty was of utmost importance. Bathing suits worn by women resembled a gown and some ladies even sewed weights into the hems to keep them from floating up in the water, exposing their legs.
As the economy began to improve in the mid 1800s, Americans began flocking to the beaches and swimming, surfing, and diving became popular recreational activities. For that reason, a special costume was needed, one that was modest, but free enough to allow for engaging in sports.
Soon, swimming became an intercollegiate and Olympic sport. Technologies improved and styles began to change. In 1914 a young Scottish man named Alexander MacRae who had moved to Australia began making swimwear. The market for swimsuits was growing rapidly by then and the suits he designed were known for making a swimmer swim faster.
In 1928 he introduced his famous "racerback" suit which permitted greater freedom of movement and a staff member coined the slogan "Speed on in your Speedos" and the name Speedo was born. Interestingly, in Australia Speedos are referred to as "Budgy Smugglers" which is a term derived from the name of a small parrot. Apparently, the body hugging swimwear looks as if it is attempting to conceal a parrot when viewed from the front. Hmmm.
Today, the variety in swimwear is immeasurable. From Speedos to wetsuits to bikinis to jammers, there are all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors and styles. Here are a few interesting facts about swimsuits...
- In 1907 Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman wore a one-piece suit in Boston that revealed her arms and legs. She was arrested for indecent exposure.
- In 1921, swimwear manufacturer Jantzen changed the term "bathing suit" to "swimming suit" to justify their more revealing swimsuits as a form of athleticism.
- The most expensive swimsuit in the world is a $30 million bikini which is made with more than 150 carats of D flawless diamonds all set in platinum.
- The first Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition was published in 1964.
- When the Barbie doll debuted in 1959, her first outfit was a black and white striped swimsuit.
- The mankini (seen in the 2006 film Borat) is a sling-like swimsuit worn by a man.
- Swimsuits can now be made from UV protective fabrics. These suits offer 50+ UPF blocking up to 98% of the sun's rays.
- China is the world's largest exporter of swimwear.
- Muslim women can now choose to wear a burqini.
- In the 1920's there were swimsuit police who strolled along beaches making sure that swimsuits were never more than six inches above the knee.
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| Swimsuit officer Bill Norton doing his job in 1922 |
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| The first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, 1964 |
Cycling Clothes of the Past
by Dana-Susan Crews
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| Photo source: www.oldbike.eu/museum/1900s/cycle-racing/1890s-racing-scrapbook-usa/ |
Let's take a look back at the days before spandex and see what cyclists used to wear...
As bicycles became more accessible in the late 1800s, cycling quickly became a competitive sport. To avoid the heavy, sticky quality of cotton clothing, competitive cyclists often wore wool. Although it became soggy when wet, it dried faster than cotton.
In the 1940s Italian tailor Armando Castelli introduced silk jersey's to help riders go farther faster. In addition to the functional quality of these silk jersey's, ink stuck to them better, enabling businesses to advertise on cyclists' clothes.
After the second world war, chemists got involved and really began to change the world of cycling. They invented polyester, nylon and spandex which changed the way all athletic clothes were made. Later, DuPont invented Lycra and by the 1970s cyclists were wearing skin tight vibrant colors while they raced.
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| Riders in the Tour de France, early 1900s (note: smoking on the ride is also a thing of the past) |
A Look Back at Sports Drinks
by Dana-Susan Crews
It may be hard to imagine this, but sports drinks have not been around for that long. Before the 1960s athletes drank only water to stay hydrated.
In the mid 1960s, a Florida college football coach was concerned because his players were suffering greatly from heat related illnesses because they played mostly in the heat and humidity. Looking for a way to prevent these illnesses, he sought the help of researchers at the university. These research physicians concluded that the two reasons for the heat-related performance issues were:
- Loss of electrolytes from excessive sweating
- Depletion of carbohydrate stores from long practices causing muscle fatigue
As a result, they formulated a special drink filled with carbohydrates and electrolytes and passed it out to the team. It worked! The football team began winning games and in 1966, they finished 9-2 for the season and won the Orange Bowl for the very first time in school history.
Researchers named their drink "Gatorade" after the school mascot. The University of Florida's mascot is the Florida Gators. Gatorade became one of the first sports drinks on the market. It consisted of a mixture of water, sugar, sodium, potassium, phosphate and lemon juice. Soon, other coaches began purchasing it and in 1968 Gatorade became the official sports drink of the National Football League.
Since the invention of Gatorade, other sports drinks have come into the market. The second most popular is Powerade. Each athlete has their own personal favorite brand. What about you? What is your favorite sports drink? Or do you prefer other forms of electrolyte replacement such as coconut water or gels?
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