HeyJaredStarting Line 1928
Starting Line 1928 is an oral history project documenting the lived experiences of female distance running pioneers
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 5
- Latest publication
- Sep 24, 2026
- Audience
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 16, 2026
Latest episodes
72 | Dusty Rhodes (opens the original)
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The Boston 10K for Women celebrates its 50 th anniversary this year, making it one of the oldest women's road races in the country. But in 1977, when founder Dusty Rhodes dreamed up the event, no one could have predicted that it would endure for generations—not even Dusty. In her fascinating interview with Starting Line 1928, Dusty gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to create such a historic event. She discusses keeping her confidence in the face of adversity, creating spac
71 | Mary Etta Boitano Blanchard (opens the original)
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No one today would recommend that a six-year-old child run a marathon. In fact, most major marathon organizers set a minimum age limit of 18, primarily due to safety, liability, and the physiological strain that extreme distance running puts on growing bones and joints. Back in 1969, however, Mary Etta Boitano Blanchard ran her first marathon at age six–she attempted a marathon at age five but dropped out at Mile 20–finishing in 4:27:32. At age ten, she ran a 3:01:15. By the time she was 12, Mar
70 | Diane Hawkins (opens the original)
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For Diane Hawkins, running began as a way to relieve stress from an intense career as an actress, but the sport became much more, opening doors and introducing her to people around the world. She set a goal to run the New York City Marathon and found that the training helped her be more focused and confident in auditions. She went on to run the New York City Marathon six times, the Boston Marathon 11 times, and countless other races, including ultramarathons. She won the U.S. women's 50-mile cha
69 | Bobbi Gibb (opens the original)
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Bobbi Gibb didn't wait for permission—she changed history by stepping across a line she was never meant to cross. In 1966, when women weren't allowed to run the Boston Marathon, Bobbi showed up anyway. Denied an official race number simply because she was a woman, she hid near the starting line, slipped into the pack, and ran 26.2 miles on determination alone. She finished in three hours and 21 minutes, faster than many of the men competing, and challenged a long-held belief that women couldn't
68 | Ellen Wessel and Elizabeth Goeke (opens the original)
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When Ellen Wessel and Elizabeth Goeke started running in the 1970s, they quickly realized the apparel available wasn't well suited to women's needs. Shorts bunched between the legs, didn't fit right around the waist, chafed in unmentionable areas—and definitely didn't have pockets. Sports bras, let alone those that supported larger breasts, weren't yet available. So they started a company, Moving Comfort, to meet the needs of a growing group of women runners. Though there were plenty of ups and
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