Kathrine Switzer to speak Saturday at DoubleTree Hotel

Friday, May 2, 2008

Spokane, WA—Women’s running pioneer and author Kathrine Switzer will join 32nd Bloomsday celebrations with a talk at the DoubleTree Hotel on Saturday, May 3rd, at 2:00 pm. Switzer, who first gained notoriety as the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon, will talk about her experiences in promoting opportunities for women runners.

 

Switzer’s role as a women’s running pioneer began in 1967, when she challenged the all-male tradition of the Boston Marathon and became the first woman to officially enter and run the event. Her entry created an uproar and worldwide notoriety when a race official tried to forcibly remove her from the competition. Four decades later, the incident continues to capture the public imagination and is, in part, the reason Switzer has dedicated her multi-faceted career to creating opportunities on all fronts for women.

 

Switzer will also be available at the Bloomsday Trade Show this weekend, where her new book, Marathon Woman, will be for sale. Over 100 vendors have signed up for this year’s Bloomsday Trade Show, which is one of the largest health and fitness expos in the nation.

 

Those wishing to enter this year’s Bloomsday Run can do so until 6:30 on Saturday at the Convention Center in downtownSpokane. The late entry fee of $30.00 will be in effect. Race entry is not available Sunday.

 

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