Adaptive

Today thousands of women and adaptive athletes compete in the Boston Marathon, but that was not always the case. The first woman to complete the marathon was Roberta Gibb, who snuck into the race in 1966. The next year, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to get a bib (the tag worn by competitors showing their race number) after signing her application with her initials, which kept her gender hidden. When it became clear during the race that she was a woman, an official unsuccessfully tried to push her off the course. In 1972, the first year women could officially enter, eight women competed and Nina Kuscsik had the fastest time. In 1975, Bob Hall became the first athlete in a wheelchair to officially finish the race.