Female Athletes Who Inspire Us

Here at Runderwear we are in awe of what so many extraordinary female runners have achieved throughout history. They have paved the way for future generations and broken down barriers of sexism within the sporting industry to fight for equality and legitimacy. With 8th March being International Women’s Day, we thought it was the perfect time to celebrate their success and highlight just what women are capable of, by sharing some of the female athletes who have inspired us.

(Photograph courtesy of charitymiles.org)

Bobbi Gibb

The Boston Marathon’s fame and status attracts runners from all over the world, and yet until 1966 the idea of a woman taking part in this event was viewed as simply absurd by marathon officials. That was, until Bobbi Gibb proved them wrong by becoming the first recognised woman to run the entire Boston Marathon, despite being told women were “physiologically incapable of running 26 miles.”

(Photograph courtesy of BBC)

Paula Radcliffe 

Paula Radcliffe has created a legacy that will no doubt stand the test of time. She set a World Record when she won the 2003 London Marathon with a time of 2:15:25, her World Record stood for 16 years. She’s also a 23-time medal-winner, 8-time marathon winner, 3-time World Record breaker, and the second fastest female marathon runner of all-time! 

(Photograph courtesy of USATF)

Alysia Montano

Alysia Montano is a 2012 Olympian, 7-time USA Champion and 4-time 800m record holder. But Alysia is perhaps best known for racing the 800 meters in the 2014 USATF Championships while eight months pregnant! Proving that being a mother and an athlete are not mutually exclusive, she showed the world that women can thrive at both. Since then, Alysia has gone on to become an activist for pregnant women in the sporting world and has proved to be the catalyst for much-need change.

(Photograph courtesy of Visit Clarksville)

Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. She overcame the loss of strength in her left leg and foot, caused by polio, to become the fastest woman in the world at the 1960s Olympics in Rome. A track and field champion, Wilma played a pivotal role in elevating women’s running in the United States and became an iconic figure for black and female athletes.