The London Marathon takes place on Sunday, 22 April. She fought off the director and finished the race. Switzer was inducted into the USA National Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 and will wear number 261 in London, the same number she wore in Boston in 1967. Kathrine Switzers initiatives include the Avon International Running Circuit, a program that includes more than 400 womens competitions in 27 countries and has involved, over time, more than a million participants, helping to finally include the womens marathon in the Olympic Games, which happened, incredibly, only in 1984. Format : Digital Download 25.98 19.49 or 1 Credit 12.99 With Membership: Learn More Katherine Switzer ran the Boston Marathon in 1967 where she was attacked by one of the events directors who wanted to eject her from the all-male race. She has also advocated for women's sports participation throughout the world and has created "261 Fearless", a global non-profit movement that empowers women through running. Switzer, who won the 1974 New York City Marathon, has been a tireless advocate for women's distance running, organising a global series of 400 women's races in 27 countries. Now is the time and I am so honoured and excited to be out there," Switzer added. "Ever since then I've wanted to run it also, but have been too busy. That event was used to convince the International Olympic Committee to sanction a women's marathon at the Los Angeles Games in 1984. "The streets of London have been an important part of women's running history as well as women's rights," said Switzer, who was involved in staging the Avon International Women's Marathon in the capital in 1980. The American will run in London in April for the first time as the United Kingdom celebrates the suffrage movement which, 100 years ago, helped convince Parliament to agree that women should be allowed to vote. Her efforts dispelled the all-male tradition of marathon running at the time and proved that women could compete in a race of that length.
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