 |
Starting Line 1928Author: Running Historians (Various)
Starting Line 1928 is an oral history project documenting the lived experiences of female distance running pioneers Language: en-us Genres: History, Running, Sports Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
Listen Now...
74 | Merry Lepper
Episode 74
Thursday, 29 October, 2026
Merry Lepper didn't exactly set out to be a running pioneer. But somewhere along the way, she became the first known woman to finish a road marathon in the United States. In 1963, she finished the Western Hemispheres Marathon in Culver City, California, in 3:37. At the time, she didn't necessarily consider herself a pioneer—but in the years since, she's received long-overdue recognition for her accomplishment, and now recognizes that she clearly played a role in opening doors for the women who came after her.
