One Of The First Women To Run Boston Marathon Laces Up Her Shoes Again
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A Minnesota athlete is returning this month to the place she made sports history 50 years ago.
The iconic Boston Marathon allowed women to run for the first time in 1972, and there were eight who crossed the finish line. One of those women is prepared to complete the race once again.
The familiar trot down her front steps in Minneapolis, shoes laced up, and Val Rogosheske is ready. She's not just idle jogging: she's training for the first time in a long time. The last race she was in was the Boston Marathon, 25 years ago.
Rogosheske was one of the first women to run the marathon in 1972. She was 25 then. She finished sixth out of eight women, without ever stopping to walk.
"I often said it that was my most painful one ever because I wasn't really ready for it. I had gotten married just that December and I got mono," she recalled. "I've almost felt embarrassed about saying 'I didn't really work for it. I just showed up,' but then I started realizing the power of showing up as well."
Now at 75, Rogosheske is going back to run it again. She won't be alone on the course. Her two daughters and a cousin are running with her. She's going in with some strategy too, planning on running 30 seconds, and then walking for 30 seconds.
"I'm feeling like that's probably the only way I can do this run," she said.
Rogosheske is set to fire the starting gun that kicks off the race on Monday. It'll be her fourth time running Boston, and her eight marathon overall.
