1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: Have you ever had sort of a big dream for 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: yourself but we're constantly told by people around you that 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: it just wouldn't work, you don't have the right stuff. Well, 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: what did you do about it? Here's the thing. Not 5 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: that long ago, despite a lifelong love of running, Bobby 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: Gibb was disqualified from running one of the world's biggest 7 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: marathons simply because she was a woman. I'm Patty Steele 8 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: going stealth to run the Boston Marathon. That's next on 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: the backstory. The backstory is back. The Boston Marathon is 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: coming up in the next month, and backstory listener Sue 11 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: Aller of Oceanside, Long Island turned me on to this story. 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: But honestly, I was really shocked to hear that women 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: were totally barred from running in the marathon before nineteen 14 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: sixty six. In fact, the longest Amateur Athletic Union or 15 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: AAU sanctioned races for women were just a mile and 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: a half, and until nineteen seventy two, the Boston Marathon 17 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: was only an AAU men's race, even though after Bobby's 18 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six race, women could run unsanctioned. Now, what 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: was that about and how did it change. Bobby Ghibb 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: was born in Massachusetts in nineteen forty two. Her dad 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: was a professor at Tufts University. Even as a little 22 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: girl growing up in the suburbs of Boston in the 23 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: forties and fifties, Bobby loved to run, particularly long distances. 24 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: She actually ran to school almost every day a distance 25 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: of eight miles. And get this, she ran in white 26 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: leather Red Cross nurses shoes because nobody made running shoes 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: for women in those days. In fact, they weren't made 28 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: for women until nineteen seventy eight when Nike introduced him. 29 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: Her dream was to run the Boston Marathon, and she 30 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: trained for two years to get ready, covering up to 31 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: forty miles a day. In February nineteen sixty six, she 32 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,919 Speaker 1: mailed in a letter asking the marathon board for an application. 33 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: What she got in return was a letter from the 34 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: race director, Will Cloney telling her that women were not 35 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: physiologically capable of running marathon distances. He said that under 36 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: AAU rules, women were not allowed to run more than 37 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 1: a mile and a half competitively. Bobby says that's when 38 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: she realized it was more important than ever to run, 39 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: that this would have social meaning way beyond just a 40 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: personal challenge. The thinking was that if women ran these 41 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: really long distances, it would sort of jumble up their 42 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: reproductive organs. Okay, but what to do? Bobby was going 43 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: to school in San Diego at the time, so after 44 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: a four day NonStop bus trip, she got to her parents' 45 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 1: home in Massachusetts the day before the marathon. Now it's 46 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: Patriot's Day, that's the traditional race day in Boston. On 47 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: the morning of April nineteenth, nineteen sixty six, her mom 48 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: drops her off at around the race's starting point. Bobby's 49 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: wearing her brother's Bermuda shorts and a blue hooded sweatshirt 50 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: over a black tank top bathing suit. She hides in 51 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: the bushes near the starting pen. The starting gun fires, 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: but Bobby waits until about half the runners have started, 53 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: and then she just jumps into the race stealthily. Can 54 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: you imagine what her nerves must have been like. It 55 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: doesn't take long for the men running near her to 56 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: realize that she's a woman. But here's the great part, 57 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: they're delighted. Their friendliness and support really encourage her, and 58 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: after a short time, she takes off her sweatshirt with 59 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: her fellow runners telling her they're not going to let 60 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: anybody remove her from the race. The crowd starts cheering 61 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: at the sight of a woman running the historically all 62 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: male race, and the press starts to cover her progress, 63 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: both the newspapers and the radio and television. Bobby isn't 64 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: just breaking barriers, She's a speed demon. She runs the 65 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: first twenty miles at a less than three hour pace. Now, 66 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: the problem is she was running with her newly bought 67 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: men's running shoes and they were cutting into her feet, 68 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: so her speed began to drop just a little bit. 69 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: But Bobby had changed the game. Folks on hand said 70 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: they cheered like crazy because they knew she had changed 71 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: more than just the race. By the time she reached 72 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: the finish line, the Governor of Massachusetts, John Volpi was 73 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: there to shake her hand. She finished in three hours, 74 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: twenty one minutes and forty seconds. That's an incredible race. 75 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: She had beaten two thirds of the runners, all of 76 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 1: them male. Bobby Gibb was the first woman to have 77 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: run the entire Boston Marathon. I'm sure her feet hurt. 78 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: Though She's recognized by the Boston Athletic Association as the 79 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 1: pre sanctioned Era women's winner, not just in nineteen sixty six, 80 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: but also in nineteen sixty seven. In nineteen sixty eight, 81 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: she had become front page news. She had recently gotten married, 82 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: so one headline said, recent bride is first goal to 83 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: run the marathon. Okay, and Sports Illustrated's title for her 84 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: story was a game girl in a man's game. Of course, 85 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: there were naysayers, including the race director who'd turned down 86 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: her request for an application to run. Will Cloney he 87 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 1: didn't even believe she'd actually run. Calling her by her 88 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: married name, he said, missus Bingay. That's Bobby did not 89 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: run in yesterday's marathon. There's no such thing as a 90 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: marathon for a woman. She may have run in a 91 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: road race, but she did not race in the marathon. 92 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: I have no idea of this woman running. She was 93 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: not at any of our checkpoints, and none of our 94 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: checkers saw her. For all I know, she could have 95 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 1: jumped in midway, Bobby replied. If you don't believe me, 96 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: ask the runners who saw me all along the way, 97 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: or the spectators who were cheering me on. I don't 98 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: want to get into a public debate with mister Cloney 99 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: about it. If he doesn't believe me. That's his business. 100 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: Things didn't change immediately. It wasn't until nineteen seventy two 101 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: that a women's division was added to the race, and 102 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: it wasn't until nineteen seventy eight that running shoes made 103 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: for women were first introduced by Nike. Finally, in nineteen 104 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: ninety six, during the one hundredth anniversary of the Boston 105 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: Marathon and the thirtieth anniversary of Bobby's game changing run, 106 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: the Boston Athletic Association officially recognized her three wins in 107 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six, nineteen sixty seven, and nineteen sixty eight 108 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: and awarded her a medal. Her name was inscribed with 109 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: the names of the other winners on the Boston Marathon Memorial, 110 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: and in twenty sixteen, Bobby was the Grand Marshal of 111 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: that year's Boston Marathon. She certainly was and is a superachiever. 112 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: In school, she studied pre med philosophy, and math. Then 113 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: she got a law degree and served as a legislative 114 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: aid in Massachusetts. While raising her family, she worked as 115 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: a lawyer and also as a scientific researcher for neurodegenerative 116 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: diseases at MIT. In addition, she's an author and a 117 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: public speaker. Finally, to top it off, she's an accomplished 118 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: painter in school. In fact, she was commissioned to create 119 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: a sculpture of herself in bronze that now sits in 120 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: Boston along the course of the marathon. Pretty incredible. Bobby 121 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: Gibb has a lot to teach us about chasing your dreams. 122 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: I want to again thank backstory listener Sue Aller of Oceanside, 123 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: Long Island for suggesting the Bobby Gibbs story, and feel 124 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: free to dm me if you have a story you'd 125 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,559 Speaker 1: like me to cover. Like Sue. On Facebook, It's Patty 126 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: Steele and on Instagram reel Patty Steele. Hope you like 127 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: the Backstory with Patty Steele. I'd love it if you 128 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: would subscribe or follow for free to get new episodes 129 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: delivered automatically. I'm Patty steel The Backstory is a production 130 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: of iHeartMedia, Premier Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel 131 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser, our writer Jake Kushner. 132 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free 133 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: to reach out to me with comments and even story suggestions. 134 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: On Instagram at real Patty Steele and on Facebook at 135 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele, 136 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: the pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.