-ADVOCATE, PIONEER, AND FRIEND

Remembering Gloria Ratti 

Gloria Ratti (at left) alongside B.A.A. President Joann Flaminio and running pioneer Kathrine Switzer celebrating the retirement of Switzer's famed number 261.

With heavy hearts, the Boston Athletic Association lost Gloria Ratti in July, a trailblazer, leader, and loving matriarch of the New England running community.

Gloria Ratti’s charm, wit, and infectious positivity touched thousands, from women’s running pioneers to Boston Marathon champions and especially event organizers.

A South Boston native, Gloria (Graceffa) Ratti’s greatest impact on the sport of running —and her proudest work—revolved around the B.A.A.’s Boston Marathon. Gloria’s involvement in the annual April race spanned a variety of roles over five decades, from timing and checkpoint pioneer to event historian, Vice President, and Secretary of the B.A.A. Board of Governors.

“Gloria in essence was the First Lady of our sport, no matter where she went,” said Guy Morse, former B.A.A. Executive Director,

Boston Marathon Race Director, and colleague of Gloria for the better part of three decades. “From champions to common runners, Gloria personally cared for everyone and represented the human side of running. It was her mission to make the Boston Marathon more than a singleday event; she strived to make it a personal experience for so many. She did that, but also was the moral authority that helped propel the entire organization forward.”

Joining her late husband, Charlie, at many races around New England, Gloria began volunteering with the North Medford Running Club at the Boston Marathon finish line beginning in the 1970s, a role in which she took immense pride. It was Gloria who first instructed finish line