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Joan Ullyot (1940–2021), convinced Olympics to add women’s marathon
Joan Ullyot was a physician and runner whose research and advocacy helped persuade the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to add a women’s marathon to the Summer Olympics.Until the mid- to late 20th century, conventional wisdom said that women should not run long distances or engage in vigorous activity. Some said they were simply unable to complete athletic feats like a marathon, while others held that the exercise would cause irreversible damage to their bodies.
