Jock Semple

John Duncan "Jock" Semple was a Scottish-American runner, physical therapist, trainer, and sports official. In 1967, he attained worldwide notoriety as a race official for the Boston Marathon, when he attempted to tear off the bib number from 20 year old marathon runner Kathrine Switzer. Switzer was officially entered in the race in accordance with the Boston Marathon's rule book which at that time made no mention of gender, despite Semple saying that amateur rules banned women racing for more than a mile and a half. He subsequently oversaw implementation of qualifying times in 1970 and, in response to lobbying and rule changes by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the implementation of a separate women's race in 1972.