In 1966, Roberta Gibb became the first woman to run the prestigious Boston Marathon, though race administrators did not officially recognize her participation until 1972. Since then, Gibb has remained an outspoken advocate for female runners and is considered a pioneer in the sport (Powers, 2017). Gibb joined sports in 1966 because she wanted to become an athlete; she consistently trained regardless of the challenges, proving that women could perform excellently in athletics.
Roberta joined sports at a tender age to become an athlete. Gibb became interested in the sport and started running when she was young and competed in her first race soon after. She continued to train and compete through her teenage years, and by the time she was twenty-two years, she had become one of the top runners in the world (Powers, 2017). She became interested in running because she deeply wanted to become an athlete. Growing up, she was always active and enjoyed playing sports, but running was always her favorite. After watching the Olympics in 1960, she knew she wanted to become a runner and eventually compete in the games (Powers, 2017). She started training very hard and eventually made it to the Olympic trials in 1964.
Conversely, Roberta trained for the sport by dedicating her time and energy to becoming the best runner she could attain. She ran every day, keeping track of her times and distance to see how she was improving. In addition to training alone, she joined local running clubs to compete with others and learn from their techniques. She would be fully prepared when race day came and give it her best. Roberta did not have a couch to instruct or motivate her, like in the case of Kathrine Switzer, who was always motivated by her cross-country coach (Ross, 2018). She could cover forty miles at once and did a lot of speed work to improve her times. She also ran up hills to increase her strength and endurance. In addition, she ate a healthy diet that energized her for running long distances, especially after realizing that foods such as apple pie and roast beef caused her stomach pain while running.
Similarly, given that there was no formal Boston Marathon for women at the time, Gibb trained for the event by running alongside men in marathon training sessions. In an era where most women were discouraged from participating in sports, let alone running long distances. Gibb’s fortitude and commitment to her training drew both inspiration and criticism from those around her. Lastly, she trained with passion and did this by running as a child in the Boston suburbs (Wallack, 2018). During high school moments, Roberta, together with her boyfriend, could cover seven or eight miles, and her ambition was to increase her mileage.
Far from training, Roberta’s athletic goal was to complete the Boston Marathon. She participated in the Boston Marathon to prove that women could run long distances as men. At the time, Boston Marathon was only open to men; thus, Gibb snuck onto the course and became the first woman to cross the finish line. As a result of her efforts, women were eventually allowed to compete in Boston Marathon officially (Powers, 2017). Today, Gibb is considered a pioneer for female runners everywhere. She trained diligently for months leading up to the event, despite not being an official participant in the race.
Moreover, in 1966’s backward, women were not allowed to participate in the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) Marathon because marathon officials did not believe that women were physically capable of running the 26.2-mile race. Marathon officials eventually changed their policy and began allowing women to register for and participate in the race in 1972. Some women who later participated in the marathon were Nina Kuscsik and Katherine Switzer (Powers, 2017). Her other goal was to live a fulfilling life; she was determined to be an example for other African Americans and show that anything is possible. She did not want people to focus on her skin color but on her achievements. Furthermore, she had witnessed the danger of living unfulfilling life from her mother’s group of friends. She recalled seeing women drink in the afternoons to ease the ache of an excruciatingly dull existence. Based on this past experience, her goal was not to repeat the same mistake made by her mother.
Roberta Louise Gibb faced many physical and societal challenges during her career. As a woman, she was not always taken seriously as an athlete and was often told that she could not compete with men. She overcame these challenges by training hard and proving that she could run just as fast, if not faster, than the men. Additionally, Gibb did not have a coach for the marathon and thus had to train herself, which sometimes meant running through pain and injury. For instance, she sometimes participated in a race with a bleeding foot (Wallack, 2018). Therefore, she had to train herself, which meant that she had to be extra careful not to over-train or injure herself. Today, Roberta Louise Gibb is considered one of the best runners in history, regardless of gender.
Roberta Gibb was a decorated athlete with numerous accomplishments to her name. She was best known for being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in nineteen sixty-six, though she had run the race unofficially the year before. In 1967, she also became the first woman to complete the marathon at 3:21:40. Her extraordinary feats in running have helped pave the way for other female athletes and brought much-needed attention to women’s rights (Powers, 2017). Gibb competed in and completed ultra-marathons, triathlons, and Ironman competitions. She is an inspirational figure to both runners and non-runners alike, and her accomplishments are truly remarkable. She convinced the BAA officials that women could run over 1.5 miles, which they thought was impossible. In 1972 nine women were allowed to compete in the marathon; in 1976, 78 women joined the race, and by 2017, they reached 13698, which formed 45% of the total runners (Ross, 2018). Therefore, her mistakenly first marathon trial changed society’s incapability mentality against women.
In addition to her groundbreaking marathon run, Gibb was also recognized for her accomplishments as a member of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). She was a key figure in assisting the AAU to become more inclusive of women athletes, and she remains active with the organization today (Powers, 2017). Her work with the AAU has aided countless women athletes to find success in competition, and her legacy continues to positively impact the world of sports.
In conclusion, Roberta Louise Gibb is an athlete who deserves more recognition for her accomplishments. After running the Boston Marathon as a woman in 1966, she demonstrated that women could perform better in athletics just like men. Despite the challenges she faced, Gibb continued to run and inspire others. Her story is an important reminder that progress is not always linear and that athletes who break barriers should be celebrated.
Reference
Powers, E. (2017). From Boston to Los Angeles: Women marathoner’s changing perspectives from pleasure to empowerment and the establishment of the women’s Olympic marathon (Doctoral dissertation). Spring. Web.
Ross, A. (2018). The woman who crashed the Boston marathon – JSTOR daily. JSTOR Daily. Web.
Wallack, R. (2018). The real story of the first woman to run Boston. PodiumRunner. Web.