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A lawyer, writer, artist and medical researcher, Bobbi Gibb has covered a lot of ground in her life. Her most remarkable feat? Becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1966. These days, it still isn’t easy to keep up with Gibb, who runs an hour or two almost every day. A friend’s ALS diagnosis in 2000 led her to her newest passion: unlocking the mysteries of the degenerative disease as an associate at the Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research in Worcester, MA. She’s also planning to sculpt a life-size bronze figure of a runner crossing a finish line, which she hopes to install along the Boston Marathon route. Here, Gibb reveals her favorite Boston-area run and how spectators can make the most of this year’s race on April 19.

What do you love about running? “I feel a tremendous life-force when I run. I’ll go into a fi eld filled with sunshine and feel such a thrill, and the only way I can express it is by running and twirling around. It’s a primal joy at the simple fact of being alive. Dogs have it, kids have it—many people lose it, but I never have.”

Where do you like to run in Boston? “I love running along the Charles River. It’s a delightful microcosm of the city. You see people relaxing on the Esplanade and rowers and sailors gliding along the water, plus the old brick buildings of Back Bay. It’s all quite stunning.”

How can spectators make the most of marathon day? “Take the T into town—driving and parking are a nightmare—and arrive early to grab a coveted spot near the finish line at one of the outdoor cafés on Boylston Street. Vox Populi hosts a huge, all-day marathon bash every year. To get into the race-day mood, have energy drinks at M Bar and high-protein dishes at Asana, both at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, about two blocks from the fi nish. There are crowds of people and tailgate parties all along the course, especially at Kenmore Square and Boston University’s South Campus area, along Beacon Street and Park Drive.”

Where do you go for a post-race meal? “The Oak Room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel does a nice grilled salmon. And Jacob Wirth is great. It’s Old Boston—very classic and clubby, with a big mahogany bar. I go for a huge helping of Jake’s Nacho Platter. They load them up with beef and bean chili, black olives, cherry peppers, cheese—the works!”

What was it like that day in 1966, when you were spotted on the course? “I was dressed in a black hoodie and Bermuda shorts, hoping to go unnoticed, but some of the guys recognized that I was a girl. Much to my surprise and delight, they were supportive. They told me, ‘We won’t let them throw you out. It’s a free road!’ A reporter noticed and followed my progress, so by the time I got to Wellesley College, the women spectators were shrieking. Th ey knew something historical was happening. I knew if I could do this, I’d be doing something huge for women. There was a huge roar of applause when I crossed the finish line, and the governor of Massachusetts shook my hand. I was just hoping I wouldn’t be arrested!”

Will you run the Boston Marathon again? “I think I won’t, and then that old racehorse in me rears her head and thinks, ‘I can do it again!’ The doctor says I have the physiology of a 30-year-old, so I probably could. So let’s make it a maybe!”

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