I find myself in shock that people actually believed that women were incapable of running, and in a happy place that people have gotten over the prejudice against athletic women.

However, the fact that it took until the 80’s for some things to happen is ridiculous.

Big things in the History of Women’s Running

1960 - Women could enter 5 running races in the Summer Olympics. Men could run in 16

1961 - The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) bans women from competing officially in all U.S. road races. 

1972- The AAU allows women to register for marathons, but they are required to start at a separate time or starting line than men.

               In the 1972 New York City Marathon, women refuse to subscribe to the “special” start, and sit down for 10 minutes at the starting line until the men’s gun goes off

1980 - The American College of Sports Medicine releases a statement in support of the creation of the women’s Olympic Marathon. It states, “There exists no conclusive scientific or medical evidence that long-distance running is contraindicated for the healthy, trained female athlete.”

1984 - The women’s Olympic Marathon makes its debut in the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

http://www.active.com/women/articles/the-history-of-womens-running.htm