Thousands of runners will gather at the Boston Common Saturday morning for the 46th Boston 10k for Women Presented by REI. The 6.2-mile course winds through the streets of Boston and Cambridge, including crossing the Charles River (by way of the Mass Ave bridge) twice.
In 1977, on a scrap piece of paper at a conference table, race founder Dusty Rhodes created Boston’s first all-women’s race. Just one of twelve across the country at the time; It was first called the Bonne Bell Mini Marathon. She recruited anyone and everyone she could. They expected just a few hundred runners to toe the start line, but to their surprise, more than two thousand showed up.
Some of the country’s most elite runners come to race the iconic course each year. Rhodes enjoys watching them cruise through the finish line, but shares, "What I like most about the race is the women who are not necessarily in shape. And they're using this as their goal, their way to get fit again. That's the inspiration to me.”
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The Boston 10k for Women, along with their title sponsor REI, have been hosting team runs open to the public to help people train and build comradery. It’s led by race ambassadors who encourage everyone to run at their own pace, fast or slow.
Race ambassador Katonya Burke sums it up well saying, "There's always got to be someone to cross the finish line first. We all cross the same finish line. And when you cross that finish line and you just know that you did that, nobody gave it to you and no one can take it away. It's your accomplishment.”
The stations of NBC Boston are the proud media sponsor of the race.
For more information visit boston10kforwomen.com.
