Hi, this is Danielle Friedman, and you are listening to the Run to the Top podcast.

Hi there my running friend, this is Coach Claire Bartholic, the Planted Runner.

And this is the Run to the Top Podcast,

one of the first and only running podcast dedicated

to making you a better runner with each and every episode.

We are created and produced by the expert team

of running coaches at runnersconnect.net

where you can find the best running information on the internet

as well as running coaching plans to fit every runner and every budget.

When you head out your door for a run you probably aren't thinking that you're about to engage in something that was considered scandalous, taboo, and downright dangerous not too long ago.

And if you're a woman, you might not be aware that simply going out

for a run is a bold act of feminism. But it truly is. You see, running wasn't always an acceptable thing for women to do and it's only

relatively recently that exercise in general has been embraced by society.

The role that exercise, sport, and fitness have played in women's lives in the past century has dramatically changed and it's a fascinating and complicated relationship to this day. You might be familiar with running pioneers

like Bobby Gibb and Catherine Switzer who both ran the Boston Marathon in the 1960s

despite it being a race for men only. the was considered too dangerous for our frail sex.

Of course, now in 2022, the stories seem quaint and amusing,

since women have clearly shown that we're capable

of astounding physical feats, but we only

have those opportunities today because of the women in the past who dared to

challenge themselves and the status quo. And shockingly, women's running is still not equal today.

At the collegiate level, women's cross-country events max out at six kilometers,

...