- An interview with Kathrine Switzer. This year, 2017, marks the 50th anniversary of her historic run as the first registered female to complete the Boston Marathon. In honor of the occasion, she’s running the race this year. While you might think you know her story, there is nothing like hearing it from Kathrine herself. (1:46)
- The fourth installment in our series about Editor-in-Chief David Willey’s moonshot marathon quest—otherwise known as his attempt to finally qualify for the Boston Marathon. In this episode, he is unraveling the mystery of the injury that has thus far thwarted his training for the BQ he wants so bad. (40:28)
- In the Kick, we preview the 2017 Boston Marathon, from the top storylines in the men’s and women’s races to other notable things to watch for on Marathon Monday. (1:08:22)
This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Create delicious, home-cooked meals with fresh ingredients delivered right to your door. Get your first 3 meals FREE when you go to BlueApron.com/runnersworld.
We are also brought to you by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by going to Casper.com/run and using the promo code “Run.”
Kathrine Switzer
Best Running Shoes 2025.
In 1967, she became famous the world over, in part thanks to an iconic photograph taken during the Boston Marathon. That photo shows Jock Semple racing behind Kathrine and trying to pull her off the course.
In that same split second, Jock himself is about to get body checked by a very muscular runner who happened to be both a rugby player and Kathrine’s boyfriend at the time.
Kathrine’s real claim to fame that day, however, was becoming the first female runner wearing a bib to finish the Boston Marathon. The previous year, Roberta Gibb had completed the race, but she did it without registering, so her finish wasn’t officially recognized. (Hear Roberta’s incredible story in Episode 2 of The Runner’s World Show.)
David Willey caught up with Kathrine as she was about to begin tapering for this year’s Boston Marathon, which she’ll be running with members of her organization, 261 Fearless.
That number, 261, is the number she wore that day in Boston, 50 years ago. (See Kathrine in Boston at the Runner’s World Pop-Up at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 15! Click here for more details.)
Related reading:
- 50 Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
- doesnt hurt either?
- What It’s Like to Be Married to a Legend
Marathon Moonshot
Note: If you missed our coverage of Nike’s Breaking2 Nutrition - Weight Loss Episode 33 and Episode 44. If you missed part one through three of David’s moonshot quest, you can find it on Episode 38, Episode 41, and Episode 46.
This week, we go back inside David Willey’s “moonshot” quest to qualify for the 2018 Boston Marathon. To hit his BQ time of 3:30, David is getting help from coaches, data scientists, and product specialists at Nike—essentially the same group that is trying to help three of the best marathoners in the world to project, check out.
In part four of David’s moonshot, he continues to rehab the the mystery injury that has kept him from fully training. But with the help of Joe Holder, David’s personal trainer and performance specialist with Nike, he starts to understand that the best way to get back into running is to take a step back and get healthy overall first. (A little help from a TheraGun doesn’t hurt either.)
He also enlists the help of Dr. Justin Whittaker, a chiropractic sports physician and biomechanic specialist in Portland, Oregon, to help David futher figure out those lingering injuries before he starts to run again.
The Kick
Best Running Podcasts: March 13:
Episode Credits:
The Runner’s World Show is hosted by Editor-in-Chief David Willey.
The podcast is produced by Sylvia Ryerson, Christine Fennessy, and Brian Dalek.
Interviews on the podcast have been edited for length and clarity. Got a story idea for the show? Send it to [email protected].
Brian has spent more than a decade focused on creating compelling news, health, and fitness content—with a particular interest on enthusiast activities like running and cycling. He’s coordinated coverage of major events like the Paris Olympics, Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tour de France, with an eye toward both the professional race and the engaging stories readers love.
