On Wednesday, nonbinary activist Jake Fedorowski announced the launch of the Queer Running Society (QRS)—an organization whose mission is to make the running industry a welcome place for members of the LBGTQ+ community.
The goal of the organization, according to a press release, is to “elevate the queer experience in the running industry by connecting queer running communities, campaigning for queer representation, compiling queer content and resources, creating safe spaces for the queer community, and conducting surveys and research.”
Fedorowski told Runner’s World that the idea behind QRS emerged late last year, as they and other members of the queer running community were encouraged by momentum they’ve seen in cities with LGBTQ+ running groups and inclusive races, like New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. But at the same time, Fedorowski says they were concerned by a growing number of anti-trans legislation. They believe QRS can affect change by pooling together resources from different cities and finding strength in numbers.
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For example, Fedorowski wants to create a database of queer-friendly running groups in cities across the country so that when people move to a new place, they can find a group where they will fit in. They also hope to identify races or running-related events that are LGBTQ+ friendly and have things like gender neutral bathrooms and a nonbinary race category. “[Essentially] a stamp of approval that says ‘this is a safe space, this is the place where this community is welcomed and can thrive as a participant,’” Fedorowski explains.
Along with the launch, QRS published a report called The Ignored 20%: a Queer State of the Running Industry. The “20%” is a reference to a 2022 study by Gallup that found that 20.8 percent of individuals born from 1997 to 2003 (Gen Z) identify as LGBTQ+. Couple that with a 2022 analysis from RunSignup, which found a 27.7 percent drop in road race participation within the 18 to 29 demographic between 2018 and 2021.
QRS hopes to close the gaps between these two statistics and get more young, queer people running—including all disciplines: road running, trail running, ultramarathons, and track and field.
LGBTQ+ representation has gradually been coming to the consciousness of some of running’s biggest races. Five of the six World Marathon Majors now allow participants to register as nonbinary (the Tokyo Marathon still doesn’t), and some races—like the Jersey City Marathon—offer equal prize money to runners in the category.
Fedorowski has spearheaded the movement by speaking out in favor of nonbinary race options and last year, published The Guide to Non-Binary Inclusion in Running, which aims to provide race directors and other people in the running industry with tools to successfully and respectfully implement inclusive divisions in races.
Fedorowski hopes that the Queer Running Society can be a next step on the path to getting more queer people into the sport.
“We realized we had an opportunity to connect the queer running communities and use our collective voice to push for more systemic change,” Fedorowski said to Outsports. “The ultimate goal is for the running industry to affirm all gender and sexually diverse individuals. Queer folks, especially the trans and nonbinary community, should be able to participate and thrive as their authentic selves, and QRS is here to help make that a reality.”
Theo Kahler is the news editor for Runner’s World. He is a former all-conference collegiate runner who’s based in Easton, PA. Previously, he worked as the newsletters editor at Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics.
