Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon, ran the 26-mile course in a one-piece bathing suit.
Dressed in Bermuda shorts over her black swimwear, the 23-year-old Californian was not officially registered for the 1966 race but snuck on to the course and loped to the finish line in three hours and 21 minutes. She is now commemorated as the first female winner of the pre-sanctioned era.
“Pre-sanctioned” is the nice euphemism used in place of prohibited. In the press, a headline heralded the “bride” who completed the marathon.
In 1967, Gibb raced almost an hour faster than the next female competitor, Katherine Switzer, who was the first official female racer because she signed up with the Boston Athletic Association using her initials, as was common practice. In addition to Gibb and Switzer, three other women ran that year in a ground-breaking event made infamous for one race director’s efforts to knock Switzer off the course. Literally applies in this case; he tried to physically assault her.
Fifty years later, 12,168 women completed the 2016 Boston Marathon earlier this month on April 18.
I very much doubt any one of those women wore a bathing suit, but I smile when I think of Gibb and her nonchalance towards sports clothing, decades before “athleisure” and celebrity tank tops.
That said, clothing is an important factor for many of us. We want to look good when we’re sweating to look our best. But more importantly, discomfort can prohibit some of us from exercising at all. I’m talking about discomfort from the bounce of an ample bosom; studies show breasts don’t just rise and fall up to 10 centimetres during exercise, they also move independently like renegade twins. This is known as "kinetic movement," and we need backup to lock them down.
Lean-bodied Gibb and many triathletes today can get by in swimwear, but that contrasts to the women who double up by wearing two sports bras or who, worst of all, simply avoid mid- or high-impact activities that include running.
Improvements in design and fabric have completely changed sports bras since the earliest prototypes of the 1970s. The first of its kind, the “jogbra” designed by women and released in 1977, humbly took the form of two jockstraps sewn together. Trust me, I wish I were joking. Such a crude beginning speaks to the complete absence of attention and resources paid to women’s athletic needs. If we weren’t considered physically or mentally fit to run long distances, certainly no one was considering our comfort over those miles.
Consider this line from a recent article in the Smithsonian magazine:
... until the Jogbra’s appearance in 1977, incalculable numbers of women were too discouraged to participate in impact sports such as running or aerobics, because of the discomfort or embarrassment of excessive breast motion.
Since then, advances in design, construction and fabric have afforded many women the ability and freedom to exercise comfortably.
Last week I was invited to Diane's Lingerie to try on numerous sports bras by Anita Active, a 130-year-old German garment manufacturer. I was impressed and left with two different models, both suited for mid- and high-impact exercise. The Momentum ($115) looks like molten metal, and the Extreme Control ($95) comes in camo, which is what I went for. I've now worn both for running, sprinting, aerobics, hundreds of burpees, yoga, tumbling and even just to sit at my desk in the newsroom. (That was a productive day!) I usually go for racer-back straps for ultimate security, but these styles have completely impressed me. Not once have they slipped off my shoulders.
The thought of a girl or woman who opts not to exercise because she is self-conscious or in pain because of her breasts puts me on the verge of tears.
Do yourself a favour and go for a free professional sports bra fitting with one of the smart, warm and helpful consultants at Diane's Lingerie. They're located at 2950 Granville Street and, starting today, also have a booth at the Health, Sports and Lifestyle Expo.
Today in advance of Sunday's BMO Vancouver Marathon, the Expo begins at 5 p.m. and runs through Saturday.
Expo shedule
Thursday: 5 to 8 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Twitter: @MHStewart
