Coming directly on the heels of her husband, Roger Robinson, being presented with Life Membership of Athletics New Zealand last Sunday, pioneering marathoner and women’s advocate Kathrine Switzer will be honored by her alma mater, Syracuse University, at halftime of the Orange women’s basketball game on Sunday, Feb. 8, vs. Louisville.
As part of SU’s annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the Orange will celebrate Switzer’s historic legacy as a barrier-breaking athlete who changed the landscape of women’s sports forever. Switzer’s 261 bib will be hung permanently in the rafters of the JMA Wireless Dome at halftime.
“Kathrine Switzer is a trailblazer whose courage and determination changed the landscape of women’s athletics forever,” said Director of Athletics John Wildhack. “As a proud Syracuse alumna (’68, G’72), she embodies all the values we celebrate in sports: breaking barriers, pursuing excellence, and creating opportunities for all. We’re honored to celebrate her legacy and the lasting impact she’s had on our university and the broader sports community. It will be a special moment for Orange Nation.”
In 1967, Switzer became the first woman to officially compete in the Boston Marathon, despite attempts by race officials to physically remove the bib number from her chest. Her determination and resilience in the face of adversity opened doors for countless female athletes and became a defining moment in the women’s rights movement.
Though women’s cross country and track programs did not exist at Syracuse during her time as a student, Switzer’s passion for running could not be deterred. She trained alongside the men’s team while pursuing her education at SU, demonstrating the same pioneering spirit that would later define her historic Boston Marathon run for years to come.
“In 1967, when I was a student at Syracuse University, it was also the time of a great football player named Floyd Little. He was so good and so beloved that they retired his jersey number 44, and after that, over the years, superstar athletes got their numbers retired and hung from the rafters of the indoor stadium at Syracuse.
“They didn’t have women’s sports in 1967. So my running Boston was considered quite OUT THERE! Over the years I have watched the famous numbers go up in the rafters — including some women’s at last—and had hoped one day maybe my Boston Bib, 261, would also be honored. And now it is!
“Let me tell you, at age 79, I’m thrilled to bits! And grateful for all the people who made it happen! And all the women who are passing on this fearlessness with 261 Fearless nonprofit running organization around the world! Thank you, Syracuse University!”
Switzer’s impact continues to resonate today. She has authored several books, advocated for women’s equality in sports, and inspired generations of female athletes to pursue their dreams regardless of obstacles through her 261 Fearless non-profit foundation, which has become famous for symbolizing “fearless in the face of adversity.”
Tickets for the Feb. 8 game against Louisville are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting cuse.com/basketballtickets.
For more information on Kathrine Switzer and her legacy, visit kathrineswitzer.com.
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tonireavis.com 
Officially competed is complete nonsense. She was dqd after the race. If Semple hadn’t lost his marbles no one would have noticed. All just trying to downplay Roberta Gibb the first woman to finish Boston.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/66615089
Thanks for replying. And Bobbi is a dear friend who deserves all the recognition for being the first to run Boston in `66. But it’s a little too facile to deny the role Kathrine has played in developing the sport, advocating for it for decades. The beauty of the sport is that it attracted two such exemplary women. Bobbi is, by nature as an artist, a more interior personality than Kathrine, the broadcaster. One isn’t better than the other. Bobbi did not have the inclination nor business acumen to create the Avon Marathon series, to help institute a women’s marathon in the Olympics. And Kathrine doesn’t have the artistic chops to create such beauty in sculpture that Bobbi does.
This has been a running Gordian knot for decades and doesn’t need to be. Both have contributed mightily to the sport. Both are respected and honored for their dedication to excellence. Let’s celebrate both, not pit one against the other. I think that’s the world both women were trying to advance us beyond.
Toni