Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon with an official race number.
Kathrine Switzer to be Presented with Arents Pioneer Medal
5/30/2006 2:44:23 PM | General
National Distance Running Hall of Famer and Orange Plus Hall of Fame inductee Kathrine Switzer ’68,’72 will be presented with the George Arents Pioneer Medal on Saturday, June 3 at the OnCenter during the annual Arents Award Dinner. The Arents Pioneer Medal is the highest alumni honor bestowed by the University.
Also being honored at the dinner are Gerald B. Cramer ‘52 for his excellence in business, David M. Crane L’80 for excellence in international law and Ali Khalif Galaydh ’69,‘72 for excellence in government service.
Not known for her athletics while at Syracuse, because she never officially competed in any sport, Switzer is considered one of the most influential people in the sports world regarding gender equity. In addition to receiving her B.A. in 1968 and M.A. in 1972 from The Newhouse School of Public Communications, Switzer also privately trained with Orange running coach Arnie Briggs. Inspired by Briggs’ stories of the Boston Marathon, Switzer was compelled to compete in the race, which at the time no woman had ever participated in.
In 1967, Switzer laced up her running shoes and, under her initialed name on the entry form, K.V. Switzer, embarked on a historic run. Dressed in a baggy sweat suit, Switzer went relatively unnoticed for the first few miles until a race official learned of what was going on and attempted to physically remove her from the race. The official was unsuccessful because her boyfriend knocked him down before he could reach her, which allowed Switzer to finish the race and make history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon wearing an official race number.
Switzer continued to compete in long-distance running and won the 1974 New York City Marathon and in 1975 and was ranked sixth in the world and third in the United States in competitive running. Switzer continued to be involved in the growth of the sport, serving as the driving force behind organizing a women’s marathon event in 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Since then, Switzer has created and served as the program director of the Avon Running Program – a 26 race, 16-country circuit for women’s 10K runs and 5K walks. She also served as a commentator for ABC, NBC, CBS, Turner Sports Broadcasting for the Olympic Games and Goodwill Games following the completion of her competitive running career.
For her efforts in the advancement of women’s athletics, Switzer has received numerous awards throughout the years such as the New York States Regents Medal of Excellence, the Billie Jean King Award from the Woman’s Sports Foundation. She was also selected as an Honor Fellow by the National Association of Girls and Women.
Switzer was inducted into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame in 1985 and was an honorary Letter of Distinction Award winner in 1994. She is the 25th individual with ties to athletics to receive the Arents Pioneer Medal. The most recent recipient for excellence in athletics was former SU football student-athlete, Rev. Joseph C. Ehrmann Jr., in 2004.
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