Episode 5: Barriers to Entry

“Even the decision to train for a race is a privilege itself.”

Episode 5 of the #MakingStridesPod, ‘Barriers to Entry,’ drops today!

In this episode, Stef and I get into how participating in a trail or ultra race event isn’t as simple as ‘just stepping outside’ (as some claim).

There’s a reason why women only comprise 23% of the trail and ultra scene (and that number drops to 16% at distances over 50 miles), or why fewer than 25% of participants in the outdoors are People of Color (and yes, that number dropped starting in 2020, as racially-charged hate crimes increased, according to the US Dept. of Justice).

In light of heated online discussions of Western States 100, along with the significance of the announcement of lululemon’s Further project, we dedicated this episode to addressing the various barriers that many populations face, when considering whether or not to participate in a trail or ultra event.

While setting aside entries for marginalized groups is a good start, it doesn’t do a person any good to throw them onto a Start Line without factoring in the social and environmental safety of the race event itself, and without giving them the tools, knowledge, and support to succeed.

We hope this convo is insightful and spurs the sport towards change!

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Thanks for being here. May we work to be the change we want to see.

Carolyn & Stef

Show Notes:

00:01 - chatting summer activities thus far

04:30 - Stef talks about being a part of the lululemon Further project. "The whole goal is to see what's possible when a brand fully goes in on holistically supporting female-identifying athletes," vs the "shrink it and pink it" ideology.

11:20 - discussion on how intensive and comprehensive it is to train for ANY race

13:40 - Carolyn talks about her experience as a Woman of Color (Asian American), being invited to participate in her first, multi-stage race, the TransRockies Run, and how her primary reason for participating was to build representation and to help change norms

23:50 - the privilege behind the belief that "the outdoors is for everyone!"

24:50 - Stef shares insights and reflections on Western States, especially in light of online discussions of who has access to the sport and who does not

34:15 - how preparation for a race event entails more than a comped race entry; what does it mean to prepare athletes with both the knowledge and the skills to perform well and to want to return

39:15 - Carolyn discusses the advantages and privilege she had access to, in order to get support to simply participate at the TransRockies Run

Trail & Ultra Race Orgs actively working to be safe, accessible, and inclusive:

Mendocino Movement Project (designed by and for adaptive athletes)

Bolton Valley

Trail Sisters

Dirtbags Run