On a spring day in Boston in 1967, Kathrine Switzer made history as the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. At the time, women were not allowed to enter the race. Why? The widespread myths that women were not “strong enough” to complete the race or that their bodies were “too fragile” to run safely. 

Kathrine didn’t buy it, so she signed up as “K. V. Switzer.” Throughout the 26.2 miles, runners and course directors tried to stop her from finishing, but she crossed the finish line anyway. 

In this sense, you could say that official women’s road running began in Boston.

Ten years later, in October 1977, the first Bonne Bell Mini Marathon took place in Boston. It was just the second women’s-only road running event ever. That fall, 2,231 women completed the race. Over the years, the race has changed names and routes, but the mission is the same: to celebrate women’s running. Now, it’s New England’s biggest women’s sporting event. The 2026 Boston 10K for Women on October 10th, 2026, marked 50 years of women of all ages and backgrounds running Boston's streets.

Rachael Rudel led the way, covering the 10K in 31:12, a new personal best and the second-fastest time ever on the course. It was yet another fantastic race for Rudel, who has been having the best year of her running career, at age 32. 

Her path in the sport hasn’t always been easy. In high school, she was diagnosed with severe celiac disease. That wasn’t the only challenge on her plate at the time; the diagnosis came at the same time that her mother was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Rudel says managing her celiac disease forced her to change how she ate, which eventually led to the development of an eating disorder. Just two days after winning the Mountain West 10,000m title as a freshman at Colorado State, she checked into treatment for that disorder.

After college, Rudel stepped back from running, though she eventually returned when she began working with Front Range Elite, a post-collegiate running team based in Fort Collins, CO. 

“I needed the quietness. I needed to bond with people… and realize that life is beyond food, life is beyond stressing about every little thing, life is beyond running. And when I finally learned that, I started to realize that I truly love the sport and the people that are involved with it,” she told Fast Women.

“I needed the quietness. I needed to bond with people… and realize that life is beyond food, life is beyond stressing about every little thing, life is beyond running. And when I finally learned that, I started to realize that I truly love the sport and the people that are involved with it.”

Rachael Rudel

Rudel began working with Some Work All Play, coached by David Roche and VIS Expert Megan Roche in February 2026. Since then, her running has taken off—literally. At the BOLDERBoulder 10K in May 2026, Rudel finished 3rd in 32:45, as the top American in the 2026 race and with the fastest time ever by an American woman at the event. Then at the 2026 B.A.A. 10K in June, Rudel again finished as the top American in the race, running a 31:31 for 2nd place behind Sharon Lokedi, the defending back-to-back Boston Marathon champion.

She’s clearly rising to the top of American road running, and Saturday was no exception. 

“It's amazing because I think like most people are starting to know my name this year, but a lot of people just don't know who I am, and knowing that a lot of them are cheering for me just because I'm a runner and I'm passing them is just because they are so, so excited to see other women running,” Rudel said.

Rudel had not planned on running this race and had been planning to run the 2026 USATF 10K Championships, which took place the weekend prior. However, leading up to the race, Rudel was not feeling well, originally experiencing what she wrote off as bad PMS symptoms. Then, she found out that she was accidentally being exposed to gluten, causing her celiac disease to flare. 

“I ultimately decided, if I can't fuel, if I'm getting sick the day before… that is an injury waiting to happen,” Rudel said.

Then, the opportunity to run the 10K in Boston came up. Rudel approached her decision day by day, listening to her body to make sure she was healthy and prepared enough to race. She had a great practice last Tuesday and then decided, with her coach, that she was going to run in Boston.

Rudel is expected to continue her reign on the roads this year, and she’s been feeding off the energy and love of the crowds, especially the support for women’s running that was on display on the streets of Boston this Saturday. 

“Having that whole support from people who don't even know you and just want to support you finishing, and actually just support you getting to the line. It's probably one of the most beautiful things that's taken for granted in a lot of places,” Rudel said. “I will be coming back just because of that, and many other things.”