January 1976 - Jan Merrill wins first Wanamaker Mile for women at Millrose Games

Today is Friday, January 30th, and on this day in 1976, 19yo American middle-distance runner Jan Merrill became the winner of the first-ever women’s Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games, marking the fall of yet another gender barrier to collapse in the 1970s.   In this episode, we'll meet Jan and hear what it was like to be a young female athlete at the height of America's running boom - at Millrose, the Olympics, and beyond.    It is #FueledFriday, which mean's that today's episode is sponsored by Fuel Goods! This is the sports nutrition marketplace and monthly subscription service that I've been using for the past 3 years to make sure I'm properly fueled for all of my runs.   As part of my fundraising efforts to support Keep a Child Alive for the 2026 London Marathon, I am raffling off a box of 12 items from Fuel Goods worth more than $70. Raffle tickets are $5 each, or 5 for $20, and can be purchased by donating here.    All new subscribers to the RunnerBox by Fuel Goods will automatically receive $10 to spend on anything at the marketplace, and listeners of Today in Running History can save $10 off your first box by using my code "HILLARY10" at checkout. Check out the Fuel Goods website here!   This episode and every single other was edited and produced by my good friend Rob Garcia, who many know by his own ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast "Rob on the Run"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you are looking to get into the podcasting or Youtube space, but need some help on the technical side, I HIGHLY suggest reaching out to Rob. His email is [email protected]   And as always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠follow me on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send me an email at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠