Women in sports - Running Long-distance
* In 1966 Robin Gibb Bingay became the first woman ever to run in the famed Boston Marathon when she entered as a man. She wore a hooded sweatshirt to cover her face and hair. Unofficially she finished in 125th place out of approximately 500 entrants with a time of 3:21:25.
* In 1967 Kathrine Switzer also ran the Boston Marathon. Because it was still a male-only event, she registered as K. Switzer and ran the entire route with officials attempting to tear her number from her back. She estimated her time at just over four hours and 20 minutes. Her run created such a stir that the AAU, the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, rallied to get the rules changed. In 1972, after a long and hard five-year battle, Switzer became one of nine women to run officially and legally in the Boston Marathon.
* Grete Waitz of Norway has won the New York City Marathon nine times, more than any other competitor. She won in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988.
* Fan-favorite Uta Pippig won three consecutive Boston Marathons from 1994 to 1996.
* Ethiopia's Fatuma Roba is also a three-time winner of the Boston Marathon, winning in 1997, 1998, and 1999.
* Britain's Paula Radcliffe holds the women's marathon record at 2 hours, 15 min. 25 sec. She earned her record on her home turf at the London Marathon in 2003. The American record of 2:21:16 was set at that same 2003 London Marathon by Deena Drossin Kastor. Paula Radcliffe won the Flora London Marathon again in 2005.
* Deena Drossin Kastor won the 2006 London Marathon, beating the American record she set in 2003 by nearly two minutes (2:19:36).
* In 2006, Zhou Chunxiu of China won the marathon gold medal in the Asian Games. Zhou went on to become the first Chinese athlete to win the Flora London Marathon in 2007 with a time of 2:20:38.
