SPORTING, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC BARRIERS ASSOCIATED WITH MIDDLE-DISTANCE RUNNING: THE CASE OF THE WOMEN'S 1500M

In ancient Greece, women were prohibited from participating in sports activities, under penalty of sanctions (Terret, 2006). Viewed as vulnerable in the realm of sports, women felt a need to prove their worth across all areas-including the sporting world-which justifies their access to sports participation (Dantu, 1997). Professional sport encompasses athletics, which has today become a flagship discipline and even a universal societal phenomenon. Middle-distance running in general, and the 1500m event in particular, have constantly evolved. As a middle-distance event, the 1500m sits at the boundary between long sprints and short long-distance races, generating significant interest within the field of athletics (Costill, 1987).