Switzer says she couldn’t have imagined in her lifetime how popular running would become for women all around the world. She was also part of convincing the international Olympic committee to get the women’s marathon in the Olympic Games. “Then got major sponsorship, organised the Avon global circuit which went around the world, 27 countries, 400 races, 1 million women participating had their own sense of empowerment.” Switzer then began a crusade to create other opportunities for women in running and began organising in club races. “There’s always that split second of fear and embarrassment where you want to walk off the course but actually what I decided to do it, somehow, at age 20, made the decision to finish the race, no matter what.” Switzer says she tried to embrace the incident and turn it into a positive. “It was such an iconic moment and the photo of the incident became one of the iconic photos of the women’s rights movement all these years later.” “All of them have had their lives changed by running and in many ways of that particular incident, of the official jumping off the press truck, attacking me and trying to throw me out of the race. Switzer told Kathryn Ryan this time around she will be running with 125 others 118 of them women. Listen to Kathrine Switzer's full interview

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