It’s hard to believe now, but when the Boston Marathon began back in 1897, women weren’t allowed to run. Many people said they simply weren’t capable of running such a long distance. It wasn’t until 1972 that women officially toed the start line—and even then, only a handful of brave pioneers showed up.
But let’s rewind.
In 1966, a Massachusetts native named Bobbi Gibb made history by doing what everyone said she couldn’t. She’d spent two years training—sometimes running up to 40 miles in a day—only to be told by race director Will Cloney that women weren’t “physiologically capable” of running marathon distances, Gibb recalled in an essay. The rules at the time didn’t allow women to compete in anything over a mile and a half.
So, what did Gibb do?
She showed up anyway. Her mom dropped her off in Hopkinton on race day. Gibb hid in the bushes wearing her brother’s Bermuda shorts, a hoodie, and a swimsuit top underneath. When the race began, she jumped in and started running.
The men around her quickly realized she was a woman—but instead of heckling her, they encouraged her. Cheering crowds lined the course. By the time she crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 21 minutes—faster than two-thirds of the field—the governor of Massachusetts was there to shake her hand.
The race director, however, denied it ever happened. “There is no such thing as a marathon for a woman,” he said. Bobbi simply replied: “If you don’t believe me, ask the runners who saw me.”
And still, women kept showing up.
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer, a college student from Syracuse, registered under the name “K.V. Switzer” to hide her gender. During the race, an official tried to physically pull her off the course. Her finish—and the photos of that moment—sparked a movement. Five years later, in 1972, the Boston Marathon finally opened its gates to women.
Five years after that, Paula Davenport became the first woman from New Hampshire to complete the race. It was 1977, and she was one of just 102 women at the time. She ran the race in 3:25:09. It was a moment for her because growing up, the only sport girls were encouraged to join was cheerleading.
“If you get an inkling you want to try something, just try it,” Davenport told WMUR.
Fast forward to this year—and women and men from New Hampshire are still running strong.
Here are the top NH finishers from the 2025 Boston Marathon:
🏃 Samuel Bradbury of Amherst was the top male finisher from NH, clocking an impressive 2:22:23.
🏃 Thomas Cantara of Nashua won the para division in 2:37:35—and he’s heading to London next to complete the Abbott World Marathon Majors series.
🏃 Emilee Risteen of Derry was the fastest NH woman, finishing in 2:40:35.
