Bobbi Gibb: Pioneer, rebel, runner. If you don't know who she is, then let's step back: Bobbi is the first woman to ever finish the Boston Marathon, which she first ran in 1966. In the two years leading up to that race, she contacted the Boston Athletic Association to get a bib. In the rejection letter she received, she remembers reading: The Boston Marathon is only for men. Women were not physiologically able to run 26.2 miles. “I suddenly saw that I had a way I could change human consciousness,” Bobbi told our Bandit contributor @sarah_gearhart. “This could be a crack in the armor. If I could run this marathon, and run it well, it would change the way people thought about women.” I was fortunate enough to spend time with Bobbi at her home in Rockport, MA, on assignment for @banditrunning. In only a few hours, we talked about everything from neuroscience to local government, and, of course, about running. In our conversations, Bobbi spoke in a soft voice, but with a strong demeanor. I was struck by her care and passion for human connection and social responsibility. After we went through old news clippings at her home, she wanted to show me one of her favorite places: the local beach. Upon arrival she felt the urge to do some strides up and down the shore, and after just a few I could tell that she was in her element. Each step for her was happiness in motion. I am honored to have had this time with her. It felt like I was tapping into the purest element of the sport of running, by spending time with someone with a drive to change the world around her through her passions and through her energy. Read more about Bobbi from Bandit writer Sarah Gearhart on The Current at BanditRunning.com - link in bio.