To better showcase the women’s elite field, the B.A.A. implemented a separate start for the top female runners. In a dramatic change to race format, 35 national and international caliber women began at 11:31 a.m. (29 minutes before the rest of the field and the traditional noon start).
1972 - Women Official Entrants in Marathon
Although Bobbi Gibb was the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon in 1966, it was not until the 1972 Boston Marathon that women could become official entrants due to a change in AAU rules.