The 'Six Who Sat' stood up for marathon gender equality in 1972

Today, about half of the participants in the New York City Marathon are women. That statistic is partly thanks to a small but pivotal protest at the 1972 marathon, known as "The Six who Sat," when a group of female athletes took a stand for equality by sitting down.

Lynn Blackstone no longer runs full marathons but her contribution to the sport is indelible.

"We sat for equality, and I am really proud to have been part of that movement," says Blackstone. She was one of six women who sat on the start line of the New York City Marathon to protest inequality between the sexes.

She remembers, "I accidentally became part of the protest. I came over to watch the start of the race... and as i crossed the race director handed me a sign and said sit down. I was unaware that it was going to become such an important event as far as history was concerned."

Before then, women were barred from most marathons at the direction of so-called experts who believed long distance running was harmful to a woman's reproductive health.