Kathrine Switzer

Born in Germany in 1947, Kathrine was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, where an official attacked her to stop her from running — but she continued even as he physically tried to remove her. The photo that showed her perseverance has emerged as iconic in feminist history.

Kathrine won the women's division in the New York City Marathon in 1974. She was later named Female Runner of the Decade (1967-1977) by Runner’s World Magazine. She later went on to become a commentator with the 1984 Olympic women’s marathon, receiving an Emmy for her contributions to the sport.