Lena Hollmann began her running journey in Sweden, her native country. She started with the 800 meters until 1969, when women were allowed to run the 1500 meters as well. She was part of the Swedish National Track Team and was a national champion in the 1500 meters. Lena moved to the United States with her husband in the late ’70s and at first, ran for fitness and fun. Then, she began training seriously again, entering races, and seeing success. In fact, she was the top woman at the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon in 1979. Highlights of her running career include her 10th-place finish at the 1984 Boston Marathon and her 2:44:10 at the 1983 New York City Marathon. Lena’s elite running career ended when knee problems intervened. She changed focus and became a certified personal trainer and coach. This was the beginning of a new and rewarding journey for Lena. She focuses on women, specifically older women, and helps them achieve their fitness goals and develop a positive self-image. She's even considering a new role … model. “I want to show women that life isn't over because you’re in the mid-70s, and there are so many possibilities,” she says.

Molly Barker began running with her mother when she was 14 years old, when her mother was newly sober. Years later, it was on a run in 1993 when Molly herself realized she needed to stop drinking or it would kill her. That run inspired her to create a program for young girls to accept who they are, with grace and pride, and celebrate themselves. She launched Girls onthe Run in 1996 at a site in North Carolina with 13 girls; it quickly grew and now has sites in all 50 states and in Canada. Molly left the organization in 2013 and now calls herself a "grandmother" to the organization (she also has two kids and one grandchild). In addition, she's written several books, including Girls on Track: A Parent's Guide to Inspiring Our
Daughters to Achieve a Lifetime of Self-Respect and Healthy Living, which helped bring the Girls on the Run program into the home.

Say the name Kathrine Switzer and many people aren’t sure who she is. Say, “the woman who
was accosted during the 1967 Boston Marathon because she was running in an event for men
only,” and it’s an image people recognize and remember. Kathrine had no idea what a historic run Boston would be; it became the spark for her life path. She went on to work at Avon and develop Avon Global Women’s Running, then advocated to have the women’s marathon included in the Olympics. She has also written books, commentated for major races, spoken to groups all over the world, and was the honorary starter for the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Her number in the 1967 Boston Marathon, 261, became an inspiration for women and then the namesake of 261 Fearless, a non-profit Kathrine co-founded in 2015. She continues to open doors for women, encouraging them through running and helping them feel empowered, no matter their circumstances.