The Boston Marathon goes back to 1897, but until Roberta Louise "Bobbi" Gibb came along in 1966, no woman had ever run in the storied race. She was not sanctioned to run, so Gibb hid in the bushes at the beginning of the race, then jumped into the pack, and was welcomed by the male runners around her. She finished the marathon in 3 hours and 20 minutes. History was made.
In 1983, 17 years after her historic run, Bobbi Gibb spoke to TODAY as she trained to run the Boston Marathon again.
Gibb revealed that running made her feel "connected to the world" and that "runners and running hold a mystical quality."