Episode 19: Little Mo

Human Race

On May 6, 1967 in a suburb of Toronto, Canada, a 13-year-old girl named Maureen Wilton accomplished something extraordinary. In a marathon of 30 people, she set the women's world record, running 26.2 miles in 3:15:23.

Nicknamed “Little Mo” by her track teammates, Wilton’s accomplishment should have gone down as a defining moment in running history. It was, after all, just two weeks after the famous Kathrine Switzer completed the Boston Marathon wearing bib 261—despite the race director attempting to tackle her off the course.

Instead, Wilton’s achievement was treated with controversy and accusations of cheating. Whereas Switzer became a champion for women’s running—sparking an unprecedented growth in female participation in the sport—Wilton receded into the background.

So what happened to Little Mo? Fifty years after her world changing run, we revisit the historic race. And share the story of a forgotten women’s running revolutionary.

Episode Credits:

Host: Rachel Swaby

Producers: Rachel Swaby, Kit Fox

Feedback from: Christine Fennessy, Brian Dalek, Sylvia Ryerson

Theme music: Danny Cocke

Human Race editor in chief: David Willey

Human Race is a proud part of Panoply.

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