Bill > S2197

This bill commends Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb on the fiftieth anniversary of her groundbreaking achievement as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1966. At that time, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which governed competitive running, prohibited women from participating in races longer than 1.5 miles, making Gibb's participation unofficial and requiring her to hide her identity to run the full 26.2-mile course. Despite these barriers, Gibb completed the marathon, finishing ahead of many male runners, and was even congratulated by the governor at the finish line, inspiring other women to challenge gender stereotypes in sports and leading to the establishment of a women's division in the Boston Marathon in 1972. The bill also acknowledges Gibb's subsequent accomplishments as a lawyer, artist, author, and mother, and notes her honor as the 2016 Grand Marshal of the Boston Marathon.