With the likes of Paula Radcliffe and Liz Yelling setting a whole new standard for female running, its hard to fathom that only comparatively recently the thought of women completing a marathon was unthinkable. In spite of the "iron-lady" Margaret Thatcher's ground-breaking political power, up until 1981, anything over 800m at Olympic events was considered too physically demanding for women.
In many ways it was Kathrine Switzer who became the catalyst for inspiring equal-sporting status for women. Kathrine entered under the gender-neutral K.V Switzer yet just fours miles into the race, after spotting a woman ( who was unashamedly sporting red lipstick) the race co-director Jock Semple jumped on her and yelled "Get the hell out of my race" In the face of a torrent of adversity, Kathrine became the first woman to enter and complete the event.
Nowadays, ask an average Briton to name a famous marathon runner and Paula Radcliffe's name is likely to feature heavily. The 2012 Olympic games will once again bare testimony to the fact that women are equally capable of achieving incredible athletic feats on a par with their male counterparts.
Whilst I can only ever dream of a sub-3 marathon, Kathrine and Paula are trail-blazers for women's running and on a personal level have inspired me to keep doing what I love.
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