She transferred to Syracuse University in 1967, where she studied journalism and English literature. Marshall High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, then attended Lynchburg College. Her family returned to the United States in 1949. Switzer was born in Amberg, Germany, the daughter of a major in the United States Army. Īs a result of her run, the AAU banned women from competing in races against men, and it was not until 1972 that the Boston Marathon established an official women's race. After knocking down Switzer's trainer and fellow runner, Arnie Briggs, when he tried to protect her, Semple was shoved to the ground by Switzer's boyfriend, Thomas Miller, who was running with her, and she completed the race.

During her run race manager Jock Semple assaulted Switzer, trying to grab her bib number and thereby remove her from official competition. In 1967 she became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor. Kathrine Virginia Switzer (born January 5, 1947) is an American marathon runner, author, and television commentator.

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