Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon by Kim Chaffee

Abstract

Reviewed by: Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon by Kim Chaffee Elizabeth Bush Chaffee, Kim Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon; illus. by Ellen Rooney. Page Street, 2019 [40p] ISBN 978-1-62414-654-1 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys R 5-8 yrs Kathrine ran, and everyone knew it, from the neighbors who watched her as a little girl, to the Lynchburg College track team, which allowed her to run with the guys to fill out their ranks, to the Syracuse University coach, Arnie Briggs, who allowed her to practice alongside the men's team. When she learned about the Boston Marathon and wanted to train for that, even Briggs balked, doubting she could complete so long a distance. After some spirited confrontation, he agreed to run with her and she submitted her 1967 entry application under K. V. Switzer and her medical form under her full name. Marathon officials didn't catch the glitch until they saw her along the route; one official attempted to physically remove her, but another runner stymied him. Kathrine completed the race, and although it would be another five years—1972—before all women were officially allowed to run, [End Page 338] Switzer brought the running sisterhood that much closer to the goal. This picture book is a perfect complement to Pimental's Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon (BCCB 2/18), which chronicles the 1966 stealth Boston Marathon run by Bobbi Gibb. Rooney's mixed-media collage composition and vivid color choice convey both the pure joy of running throughout the seasons and the steely determination in Switzer's piercing blue eyes. An author's note adds detail to the history of women in the Marathon, and a bibliography is included. EB Copyright © 2019 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois