SENATE DOCKET, NO.                 FILED ON: 3/24/2016

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2197

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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Resolutions commending Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb on the fiftieth anniversary of her achievement as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon.

WHEREAS, ROBERTA “BOBBI” GIBB HAS BEEN NAMED THE 2016 GRAND MARSHAL OF THE BOSTON MARATHON AND IS BEING HONORED ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HER FIRST BOSTON MARATHON RUN AND FOR HER ACHIEVEMENT AS THE FIRST WOMAN TO RUN THE BOSTON MARATHON; AND

WHEREAS, BOBBI GIBB MADE HISTORY IN 1966 BY BECOMING THE FIRST WOMAN TO COMPLETE THE BOSTON MARATHON, CROSSING THE FINISH LINE IN 3 HOURS, 21 MINUTES AND 40 SECONDS; AND

WHEREAS, BOBBI GIBB TRAINED FOR 2 YEARS TO COMPETE IN THE BOSTON MARATHON ONLY TO BE TOLD AFTER SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO RUN IN 1966 THAT WOMEN WERE NOT PERMITTED IN THE RACE UNDER RULES SET BY THE AMATEUR ATHLETIC UNION WHICH BARRED WOMEN FROM PARTICIPATING IN COMPETITIVE RACES LONGER THAN 1 AND 1/2 MILES; AND

WHEREAS, BOBBI GIBB NEVERTHELESS TRAVELED TO THE COMMONWEALTH FROM CALIFORNIA, CONCEALED HER FACE  AND HID NEAR THE STARTING PEN ON APRIL 19, 1966 IN ORDER TO RUN THE ENTIRE 26.2 MILES OF THE BOSTON MARATHON AND FINISHED AHEAD OF 2/3 OF THE 415 OFFICIAL STARTERS; AND

WHEREAS, BOBBI GIBB’S IDENTITY WAS NOT KEPT SECRET FOR LONG AS NEWS OF HER HISTORIC RUN SPREAD AMONG THE CHEERING CROWD AND SHE WAS GREETED WITH CRIES OF SUPPORT AND MALE RUNNERS OFFERING TO SHIELD HER FROM THOSE WHO TRIED TO STOP HER FROM RUNNING, CULMINATING IN HER BEING MET AT THE FINISH LINE BY GOVERNOR JOHN VOLPE, WHO SHOOK HER HAND AND CONGRATULATED HER; AND

WHEREAS, BOBBI GIBB WAS THE TOP WOMEN’S FINISHER IN 1967 AND 1968 AS WELL AND WAS THE FIRST AMONG A NUMBER OF OTHER WOMEN TO COMPETE AS UNSANCTIONED RUNNERS TO CHANGE MISGUIDED GENDER STEREOTYPES, CULMINATING IN THE FIRST WOMEN’S DIVISION MARATHON OPENING IN 1972; AND

WHEREAS, BOBBI GIBB WENT ON TO BECOME A LAWYER, SCULPTOR, AUTHOR, NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORY ASSOCIATE AND MOTHER AND ON APRIL 18, 2016 WILL BE HONORED AS THE 2016 GRAND MARSHAL OF THE BOSTON MARATHON; NOW THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, THAT THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE HEREBY COMMENDS ROBERTA “BOBBI” GIBB ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HER ACHIEVEMENT AS THE FIRST WOMAN TO COMPLETE THE BOSTON MARATHON AND FURTHER EXTENDS ITS SINCERE BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ALL HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE TRANSMITTED FORTHWITH BY THE CLERK OF THE SENATE TO ROBERTA “BOBBI” GIBB.