RUNNING HEROES

Pionnière de la course féminine : La Française Lucie Bréard

Pioneer of women's running: Frenchwoman Lucie Bréard

Lucie Bréard: An unsung pioneer of women's running

In the history of women's sports, certain names are widely highlighted, such as that of Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967. But long before her, in the 1920s, a Frenchwoman paved the way for women on the track: Lucie Bréard .

At a time when women's athletics was still a struggle, she established herself as one of the first international champions, breaking record after record and becoming the first French woman to win a gold medal at the 1922 Women's World Games , the forerunner of the Women's Olympic Games. Yet her name remains unjustly forgotten today.

While women's running is now a given, it is essential to remember these pioneers who defied prohibitions so that future generations could run freely. Let's dive together into the fascinating story of Lucie Bréard , an extraordinary athlete who never ran for glory, but always for pleasure... and victory. Spiridon shared an article in October 1983, here it is.

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Spiridon arrive !

Spiridon is coming!

The resounding echo of the victory of Spiridon Louis, the first Olympic marathon champion of the modern era, inspired the name of the first international running magazine. Originally from Greece, this young shepherd, in harmony with nature and far from urban conventions, created everyone's surprise. While everyone was waiting for a winner from the English, French or German elite, it was he who emerged, thus sowing the seed of a free race. This idea will be symbolically taken up to define the very essence of the magazine and the clothes.
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Bruce Tulloh chez les Tarahumaras

Bruce Tulloh at the Tarahumaras

The magazine spiridon had published a formidable article signed by the Briton Bruce Tulloh. You have certainly forgotten him, but he is also this runner who managed to cross the United States from Los Angeles to New York, that is 4602 km, in 64 days (1969). He also wrote a book on this subject " Four Million Footstep " (of which we have a first edition). We transcribed for you the article written in June 1973. This had inspired Karel Matejvosky. You will find the illustration "Tarahumara" accompanied by the bird on a collection of our t-shirts. But it has inspired many others, we think of Born to Run by Christopher Mc Dougall which will be published in 2009, a cult book for many runners of our generation (to be found in our shop).
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Cornelia Bürki une athlète engagée emblème du mouvement Spiridon vintage

Cornelia Bürki, a committed athlete

Cornelia Bürki is committed to running in every sense of the word.
15 years of high-level international career but also a strong character that will lead her to commit to the inclusion of women in sport by wearing the Spiridon jersey in important criteriums. And at the time it was not very well seen by the federations to wear this jersey which claimed free running for all. Besides, we are looking for a triumphant full page from the Geneva tribune where she wears a Spiridon tank top after her Swiss record. We found a video of this record in Spiridon.
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Chantal Langlacé à Marvejols-Mende en 1975, portant le t-shirt Spiridon – pionnière du running féminin et figure du mouvement Spiridon en France.

Chantal Langlacé, heroine of free running

The great Kathrine Switzer was not the only one to have shaken up the codes of running and campaigned for the inclusion of women in marathons. In France, Chantal Langlacé was also a pioneer.
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