Historical Perspective of Womens Marathon
A Historical Perspective of Women’s Participation in the Marathon
Women have been described using adjectives such as frail, beautiful, innocent and fragile for centuries. New York Times bestseller Teresa Medeiros wrote “Women are delicate creatures. Fragile. Gentle. Made by God to be sheltered from the harshness of this world..”. Veikko Karvonen, 1954 European and Boston Marathon Champ described Marathon running as a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting. How could a docile sweet woman possibly compete in such an intense test of strength and endurance? The contradicting descriptions and preconceptions of women and the marathon are perhaps part of the reason why it took so long for women to rightfully take their place on the starting line of the marathon. I will be researching women’s battle for their spot in the marathon throughout history, starting with Melpomene, a woman who allegedly jumped into the marathon at the first modern Olympic games and exploring the discrimination women faced throughout the last century. There are several brave women who have made particular contributions to women’s marathon running and they are highlighted in this paper. Finally I will look at current women marathoners and the future of women’s participation in the marathon.
Ancient History of Women’s Running
In the ancient Olympics women were forbidden to compete and faced possible execution for being a spectator at the games. In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens Greece, founded by IOC president Pierre de Coubertin. Like most of the men of his time, Pierre de Coubertin was not in favor of the participation of women in the Olympic Games. “… The true Olympic hero, in my view, is the individual adult male.” There is evidence that regardless of de Coubertin’s thoughts a woman named Melpomene competed in the first ever marathon despite being denied an official entry. Melopomene warmed up out of site and jumped in as the race started. She
Women have been described using adjectives such as frail, beautiful, innocent and fragile for centuries. New York Times bestseller Teresa Medeiros wrote “Women are delicate creatures. Fragile. Gentle. Made by God to be sheltered from the harshness of this world..”. Veikko Karvonen, 1954 European and Boston Marathon Champ described Marathon running as a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting. How could a docile sweet woman possibly compete in such an intense test of strength and endurance? The contradicting descriptions and preconceptions of women and the marathon are perhaps part of the reason why it took so long for women to rightfully take their place on the starting line of the marathon. I will be researching women’s battle for their spot in the marathon throughout history, starting with Melpomene, a woman who allegedly jumped into the marathon at the first modern Olympic games and exploring the discrimination women faced throughout the last century. There are several brave women who have made particular contributions to women’s marathon running and they are highlighted in this paper. Finally I will look at current women marathoners and the future of women’s participation in the marathon.
Ancient History of Women’s Running
In the ancient Olympics women were forbidden to compete and faced possible execution for being a spectator at the games. In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens Greece, founded by IOC president Pierre de Coubertin. Like most of the men of his time, Pierre de Coubertin was not in favor of the participation of women in the Olympic Games. “… The true Olympic hero, in my view, is the individual adult male.” There is evidence that regardless of de Coubertin’s thoughts a woman named Melpomene competed in the first ever marathon despite being denied an official entry. Melopomene warmed up out of site and jumped in as the race started. She
Bibliography: Charlotte Lettis Richardson , Charlotte, prod. Run Like a Girl. 2005. Film. 12 Nov 2012. <http://www.runlikeagirlfilm.com/history.php >. KILLANINL, . & J. RODDAE, ds. 1976. The Olympic Games. MacMillan Publishing Company [ 6 ]. Kuscsik, N. (1977), THE HISTORY OF WOMEN 'S PARTICIPATION IN THE MARATHON [ 7 ] [ 8 ]. Kuscsik, N. (1977), THE HISTORY OF WOMEN 'S PARTICIPATION IN THE MARATHON [ 9 ]