Her Fearless Run

Katherine Switzer's
Historic Boston Marathon

Page Street Kids
(pub. 4.2.2019) 
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Kim Chaffee

 and illustrator: Ellen Rooney
 
C haracter: Kathrine Switzer

O verview: 
     "In 1967, women weren't supposed to compete in races like the Boston Marathon. But Kathrine Switzer didn't let that stop her.  Even when race officials tried to block her, Katherine kept running.
     From running laps in her back yard to being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with official race numbers, Kathrine Switzer's inspiring true story shows the courage it took to challenge perceptions and forever impact the world of running."

T antalizing taste: 
     "PAT, PAT, PAT
     The summer sun beat down on twelve-year-old Kathrine. She held out her piece of chalk and marked the tree as she ran past again. Two laps to go. Kathrine dripped with sweat. Her legs felt like noodles, but she kept running.
     One lap to go ... just a few more feet ... a few steps ...
     1 MILE!
     Kathrine held her head high and tried to catch her breath. But ...
     The mailman stared. The mailman asked if she was okay. Because in 1959, it was strange to see a girl running.
     Girls weren't supposed to sweat. Girls weren't supposed to compete. They were too weak, too fragile, for sports. That's what most people thought.
     But not Kathrine.
     She thought running was magic."  

And something more: In the Author's Note, Kim Chaffee explains that "Kathrine continues to change women's lives through the nonprofit organization 261(R) Fearless... To commemorate the 50th anniversary of her Boston Marathon run, Kathrine ran the marathon again on April 17, 2017, alongside members of 261(R) Fearless.  She finished with an official time of four hours and forty-four minutes. Afterward, Kathrine's bib number [261] was officially retired by the Boston Athletic Association."