She Races

Women run less ultra marathons than men. The stats show this quite clearly and no one standing on a start line could really dispute this. Generally, once you get over 50 miles the ratio is about 1:5 F:M. For shorter ultras it’s a bit better but not by loads. As I type this currently the ratio for our 3 weekend ultras is 2:5 F:M. As much as I’m pleased we’re bucking the trend a bit (it’s currently 1:1 at the 40 mile Warwickshire Bear Ultra!) I know there is lots of work to be done.

In many ways I see Big Bear Events as the “grassroots” of ultra running. Our 6 hour events give everyone an ultra running experience even at shorter distances. Aid stations with real food, “guilt free” walking at anytime during the event, periods where you’re running on your own in the countryside, genuine camaraderie and the need to set your own goals and smash them (not to mention being on your feet for hours!). Many people have run their first ultras with us who never thought they would and I know people look for lower key events like ours before going off on their quest for longer and bigger events. So, to have more women on the start line of UTMB, TDS or the North Downs Way 100 the work needs to be done at the bottom of the pyramid, where we sit.

What’s my point? Well, after listening to Sophie Power (if you don’t know the name you’re very likely to know the photo taken of her breastfeeding during UTMB a few years ago) on a podcast talking about trying to get more women in to ultras I sent her an email. That’s quite forward for me but I felt that I was doing a lot of the things she was talking about that would remove some barriers to women. She spoke so well and so powerfully about those small barriers in the way of women running ultras. I felt like Big Bear do a lot of things to help promote female participation but it’s tricky to tell people and make them aware without it seeming like empty words or condescending language. I felt like a “stamp of approval” or some sort of “female charter” was needed. Effectively a framework of ideas that us as race organisers (who are predominantly male) could be guided by to ensure we weren’t putting up unnecessary barriers. If we met them then we could be effectively listed as such and recommended as good places for women to go to.  After a bit of back and forth it was clear Sophie had very similar ideas to me and was about 20 steps ahead too! A week or so ago she emailed me with She Races and I’m fully on board.

I won’t go through every point in the guidelines but I’ll broadly say what we’re doing already and what I want to do to improve.

Level the start line

A lot of this stuff is just marketing common sense! Not everyone who enters a running event is looking for the most tough, brutal and dangerous event they’ve ever seen. It’s not all about winning. It’s off putting to a very big chunk of the population and a real barrier to entry for lots of women. I’ve always tried to put out a tone of a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Not one filled of people having to slap themselves on the start line getting ready for battle! It’s just not what running is about for me personally and I wouldn’t enjoy it as much if I put on events like that. I have a few routes I use that I could describe as “brutal” and “hellish” but I just simply state the facts of elevation. If you try and sprint the hills on the Cannock 50 it will be pretty hellish! But you don’t have to and the numbers and videos speak for themselves…

As for imagery, I always try to mix this up. For the 6 hour events we tend to have more women running anyway so finding suitable images with women in isn’t a particular struggle. I’ve always liked the phrase, “you cannot be what you cannot see” and I think this is very true. All the Big Bear imagery is of “normal” people having fun. I tend to put more females in shots too. The hope is someone on the fence see’s it and thinks “they look like me and are having fun, I’ll give it a go then”.

Equal the experience

I’ve made progress on this from the early days. The simplest and easiest tweak was having sanitary products at HQ. I felt a bit embarrassed when it was pointed out a few years ago. It’s such an easy, hassle free thing to have that might just help a women finish or have a better day. It’s just a no-brainer. Much like the removal of plastic cups, you just can’t really understand why it just wasn’t always the way! As for actual toilets all of my events  have toilets at them. For the 6 hour events that generally means a toilet every 5k. For the ultras it can be a bit tricker but the longest gap between toilets on any route of ours is 10 miles at the Cannock 50. Portaloos cost a lot of money – upwards of £100 a day each. So trying to have just enough of them is important. I can’t/won’t defend events I’ve done however with no toilets on route. The reason for the route choice of the Warwickshire Bear Ultra is because of toilet stops every 5 miles..

Respect our competition

These points aren’t quite as relevant to our events as the others but does leave a note for improvement. There is no prize money and our start lines are never congested enough to require women to have their own space. But something to think about if we do put those sorts of events on. I’ll also be speaking with Eventrac to see if there is anyway to filter the results so the female results can be seen effectively as a standalone set of results.

I’d love to have my events be demographically similar to the areas they take place in or the wider country. I would never want any group to feel unwelcome or uneasy about coming to a Big Bear Events. I’m also not naïve to think just saying stuff is enough, actions speak louder than words. I’m also willing, happy even, to learn. If you see or hear me do something you think goes against any of this, tell me. I’m not infallible so tell me when I don’t meet these standards so I can try my best to not drop below them in the future.