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Running Community Targeted for Being Trans-Inclusive (gomag.com)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by okwithmydecay@leminal.space to c/running@lemmy.world

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A free-running community has been targeted again for allowing trans women to compete in the women’s category.

Parkrun is a global organization with events each Saturday and Sunday in more than 20 countries around the world, according to its website. It offers several different distances for people to participate in.

The organization allows participants to allow people to identify with their gender instead of the sex assigned at birth. It also allows a range of options for people who identify as nonbinary.

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[–] ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I don't get why gender/sex is relevant information for sign-up in any way for noncompetitive fun-runs...just let people sign up, you barely even need a name, just give them a registration number on sign up that they can use to pick up their bib (if that's even used)

[–] Ilandar@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago

You don't have to provide your gender when signing up.

For some people, measuring their progress against others is a way to motivate themselves to continue working hard to improve. That's why Parkrun has course records, overall placings and gender placings. It can be a weekly little race if you want it to be, but the important thing is that every participant chooses how they want to take part. It can be as competitive as trying to finish first and set a course record or as uncompetitive as going for a morning walk with the dog or baby.

Sometimes people (usually newcomers or people who don't attend) feel insecure about this but it's a way to attract people from the community of all ages and backgrounds. If Parkrun only appealed to casuals, or only appealed to hardcore runners, it wouldn't be anywhere near as successful as it is at getting large numbers of people from the local community out exercising and socialising with people outside of their usual social circle.