THESIS

In the early 1800s, society created a barrier between women and physical activity, stating that exercise was not good for women's health and that they were too delicate. Kathrine Switzer broke through that barrier by running the 26-mile Boston Marathon in 1967 proving that women are capable of long distance running and paving the way for women in the future. After 5 years of protesting, women's opportunities started opening up and by the late 1900s women could participate in most marathons.