Hall of Fame Series: Bobbi Gibb, First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon

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Bobbi Gibb is a three-time winner of the Boston Marathon Women’s Division in the pre-sanctioned era, 1966, 1967 and 1968. She was the first woman ever to run and complete the Boston Marathon in 1966 at a time when it was believed that women were not physically able to run marathon distances and were not allowed to compete  in events longer than one and a half miles.  In 1966, Roberta (“Bobbi”) Gibb finished the Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 21 minutes, and 40 seconds. 

On the 100th anniversary of the Boston Marathon and the 30th anniversary of her first run, Bobbi was awarded a medal for her three wins and her name was inscribed with the other winners on the Boston Marathon Memorial in Copley Square.  She was inducted into the Road Runners of America Hall of Fame in 1982 and into the TD Garden Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

More than a trailblazer, Bobbi Gibb is a “Modern Renaissance Woman” in her intellect, pursuit of knowledge, interests, talent and accomplishments. 

This episode is part of a Hall of Fame Series sponsored by eternalHealth, a woman-owned, run, and built Medicare Advantage health plan currently available to Massachusetts residents in Suffolk, Worcester and Middlesex counties.  eternalHealth is a proud sponsor of the Boston Red Sox and the presenting sponsor for the David Ortiz Hall of Fame Day at Fenway Park.

In celebration of David Ortiz being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, eternalHealth is sponsoring the Warrior’s Day Off Hall of Fame Series beginning with Massachusetts legend Bobbi Gibb.