Female runners who made history in the world of running
The upcoming March 8th is International Women's Day, and to celebrate, we want to feature several women who have made history and are a source of inspiration for other runners.
Allyson Felix
An American sprinter, across her 5 Olympic appearances, she has amassed no less than 11 medals, including 7 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze. She is the only female runner to have won so many Olympic gold medals.
In addition to these medals, she has a total of 18 from Outdoor World Championships and several more from Indoor events. She is one of the fastest athletes in the world, retiring at the end of the 2022 season.
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Known as "The Flying Housewife," she is one of the fastest women in history. As a mother, at 30 years old, she competed in the 1948 Olympic Games, winning the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relays, and the 80m hurdles.
She could be compared to the Usain Bolt of her era; the Dutch athlete was chosen as the female athlete of the century by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 1999. Her famous quote is, "All I've done is run a few meters."
Katherine Switzer
She was the first female runner to legally finish a marathon, specifically the famous Boston Marathon in 1897. To do so, she had to register with her initials "KV Switzer." During the race, she faced numerous attempts to remove her from the course, all unsuccessful.
Although her time wasn't remarkable, this event marked a before and after for women in the world of running. After this milestone, marathons gradually began to allow women's participation.
Brigid Kosgei
This marathoner holds the world record for the marathon with a time of 2:14:04, achieved at the Chicago Marathon in 2019. This record had been held by British runner Paula Radcliffe since 2003, with a time of 2:15:25, set at the London Marathon.
The Kenyan athlete has an Olympic silver medal, has won 3 Major marathons, finished second twice, and triumphed in another international marathon.
Ann Trason
Considered one of the greatest ultra-distance runners in history, in her first Ultra Trail race, the American River 50 Miler, at 24 years old, she won and set a new course record. Eight years later, she ran the race again and improved her time by an hour, a record that still stands.
Her significant dominance in Ultra Trail races can be seen in the famous and legendary Western States Endurance Run in the United States. In her first two participations in that race, she couldn't finish, but this didn't stop her; she went on to win it 14 times and held the course record for 18 years.
Ann Trason holds 20 world records, on some occasions being the first runner to cross the finish line, even beating men.
Whether on the track, on the road, or in the mountains, these women have made a difference in history and are a source of inspiration for other women.
