TRENTON, NJ – A female New Jersey State Trooper who ran in the Boston Marathon with the Massachusetts State Police marathon team says she did it to honor the memory of a female officer killed in the line of duty in March.
According to a statement today by the NJSP, “On April 18, Lieutenant Colonel Jeanne Hengemuhle laced up her sneakers and ran in the 126th Annual Boston Marathon. During this 26.2 mile race, she ran with the Massachusetts State Police Ironman Marathon Team in memory of Massachusetts State Trooper Tamar Bucci #4440, who was killed in the line of duty on March 4, 2022, while helping a disabled vehicle.”
LT. Col. Hengemuhle also gathered donations for the charity group “Cops For Kids with Cancer,” a charitable organization focused on raising funds to provide assistance to families of children fighting cancer, to improve their quality of life.
“While completing the Boston Marathon is an accomplishment to be proud of, this year’s race held significant importance for all women athletes. This year marks the 50th anniversary that females were first allowed to run in the Boston Marathon,” the agency said.
Two notable exceptions were Roberta Gibb and Kathrine Switzer. In 1966, Gibb entered the race by hiding in the bushes near the start until the race began. Switzer who, prior to the rule change, registered and ran the Boston Marathon under the name K. V. Switzer to hide her first name. She became the first woman to run on April 19, 1967 with an “official” bib number. Breaking the glass ceiling, these women paved the way for the marathon committee to accept women into the race and on April 18th 1972, eight women completed the event.
Though it was 50 years ago, we still salute these incredible women who both unofficially and officially crossed the finish line into history.