Mount Marathon Race adds non-binary division

The Mount Marathon Race, which takes place in Seward every July 4, has tiptoed into protecting fairness in the women’s division for the toughest 5K on the planet: There will be a non-binary division this year. The category was announced March 15.

The race is among the oldest footraces in America and is considered the oldest mountain footrace in the country. It started as a bet between two miners as to whether someone could reach the top of the mountain and return within one hour. The race was officially organized in 1915.

The race starts in downtown Seward, where thousands gather to cheer on the racers, who scramble up and back from the slope of Mount Marathon, a rocky, slippery mountain of shale and loose rock. There’s a men’s and women’s division and a youth division; each division is capped at 375 competitors, some of whom have done the race for many years.

Now there’s a non-binary division, which applies to those who don’t think they are male or female.

“The term non-binary is a gender identity that cannot be defined by the binary terms of ‘man’ or ‘woman’; it refers to people who identify with a gender beyond the binary categories of male and female. Within non-binary are people who fluctuate between genders (genderfluid or bi-gender), people who have no gender (agender) and more,” the committee rule states. “This policy is an effort to make more space for people who live outside the confines of binary gender identities.”

The rule explanation continues:

Beginning in 2024, adults and juniors identifying as non-binary:

• Can select non-binary as a category at priority or lottery registration.
• Will be included in a new non-binary division that has its own results.
• Will be recognized with the same awards (non-binary top 5 overall and non-binary age group top 5) as the binary divisions.
• Non-binary adults will need to take part in the men’s or women’s waves and therefore must select participation in the men’s or women’s race (we acknowledge that non-binary runners having to participate in a binary division isn’t ideal, but currently see no better option). If preferred, they can be part of a separate non-binary wave within the men’s or women’s races. The race director will reach out to all non-binary runners to discuss this option.
• Non-binary juniors will simply participate in the juniors’ race because boys and girls run together in a single wave.
• If a lottery entrant, will be placed in the lottery corresponding to the race they selected.
• Will requalify for priority registration following the existing rules of each race.
• The non-binary division is expected to be selected in good faith and will be accepted at face value; it cannot be challenged by another party.

The race committee is evaluating also creating a transgender runner policy, but that matter was tabled “as it gathers more information and feedback,” the committee said.

Transgenders are those who have been chemically and surgically treated to appear to be the opposite gender. Across the country, transgender athletes, in the male-to-female format, have been robbing women of their athletic trophies and the issue has become a point of contention in swimming, biking, foot races and other sports. Female-to-male transgenders have not posed a medal threat in men’s divisions.

Without having addressed the transgender fairness issue, the race committee has delayed setting up protections for women runners, but has taken a step in the fairness challenge with the non-binary rule.

“According to the Non-Binary Racing Database, more than 300 events in the United States now allow non-binary registration, including some of the country’s biggest events such as the Chicago, New York and Boston Marathons,” the race said in an announcement. The decision was approved by both the Mount Marathon Race Committee and the Seward Chamber Board of Directors.

The race committee has made other changes. For the junior division, the minimum age to participate has been increased to 9 years old. Earlier, the age minimum was 7, but in 2023, no 7-year-olds participated and the 8-year-old racers are now 9.

The general race deferral option, where runners want to preserve their spot as a legacy racer but need to take a year off (often due to injury) has been eliminated starting in 2024. The only deferral now granted is for women due to pregnancy.

“Because so many spots were being held to the following year, fewer lottery opportunities were available for new racers.
Injuries were the most common reason for deferral. The committee believes injuries are a part of training and racing, and no longer warrant a deferral,” the committee said. Those deferrals already approved from 2023 are still valid, but runners must still register and pay to be an entrant.

The committee also revised its skip-a-year rule, which allows priority racers — those who are veterans of the race — to skip one year, but one year only and still preserve priority status.

Registration for the race closes March 31.

To view the full non-binary policy, click here.
To read the race’s press release on the MMR website, click here.