MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Laura Gustafson, 50, from Myrtle Beach, will be lacing up her sneakers on April 17, 2017 for the run of her life. Gustafson, as well as 100 other runners, will be running the 121st Boston Marathon to represent 261 Fearless, Inc, the new non-profit benefitting women’s running initiatives from legendary marathoner, Kathrine Switzer.
In 1967, Switzer became the first registered women to compete in the Boston Marathon. At that time, the race was considered a male-only event, but, using her initials, Switzer managed to obtain an official bib, number 261. Mid-stride in the competition, an angry race director leapt from the press truck and attempted to pull Switzer from the race. In one of sport’s most dramatic moments, Switzer’s burly boyfriend bounced the official off the course, allowing Switzer to go on to finish. The photo of the incident became one of Time-Life’s “100 Photos That Changed the World.”
Despite an inauspicious beginning, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) early on realized the seriousness of women’s desire to participate and the potential of their endurance. In 1972, five years after the ‘Switzer Incident’, the BAA welcomed women as official competitors, becoming the first major marathon to do so. This year, the Boston Athletic Association has continued its commitment to women’s running by inviting the 261 Fearless team to participate in the 121st running of the Boston Marathon on April 17, 2017.
To learn more about the non-profit 261 Fearless, please visit: www.261fearless.org.-This is from a Press Release.
