December 2018
We’ve set down our goals and principles so that clubs, organisers and individuals can understand who we are, what we want and how we work.
What does RunEqual want?
We want to not exist! As soon as our goals have been achieved we will disappear.
We want all running events to provide the same status to women, men, girls and boys. This means:
- Equal race distances for seniors and in each junior age category (we don’t care what that distance is, organisers can decide).
- Equal age categories for women and men (we suggest V40, V50, V60 etc is most appropriate).
- Equal prizes and status of competitions (i.e. the senior men’s competition isn’t referred to as ‘the main event’, and doesn’t have a bigger trophy).
Why?
An unequal race distance, age category or prize gives the message your race isn’t as important, you aren’t as capable and you aren’t being welcomed on equal terms.
This is a small thing, and there are hundreds of other such small things in all elements of our lives. Added together they gain the power to place limits on us all – based not on what we are capable of or enjoy, but whether we are female or male.
Our running community has the power to change one of these small things. Our sport loses nothing. It gains by offering a warmer welcome to everyone, and leading the way for other sports and communities to change.
Sport has the power to inspire and empower, especially young people. Our sport should be setting the right example to all our athletes.
Who is/are RunEqual?
RunEqual started in 2017 when one runner in East London decided that rather than grumbling during cross country season, she wanted to do something about it. More of us who felt the same joined in.
We are runners, volunteers, race organisers, coaches, supporters and committee members. We are women and men. We are part of events from sprints to ultras.
We love our sport, our clubs, our races and leagues. We understand the effort it takes to organise races and we appreciate the work of the people who do this so our whole community can enjoy them.
We do not have leaders, committees or a membership.
We welcome anyone who shares our aims and values to be part of the RunEqual community and use what we have started to help them bring about change in their area.
How does RunEqual operate?
We start the conversation.
We treat everyone in our community with respect whatever their opinion.
We raise awareness of events which are not equal and ask positively for change.
We are supportive of race organisers and races and want to work in collaboration and friendship with organisers and clubs to bring about change for unequal events.
We will never do anything that risks disruption to events.
We are supportive of equal events.
What does RunEqual do?
We set up and administrate the RunEqual Facebook group. This is a place where people who share our aims and values can share information and link up with others in their area.
We set up and manage the twitter feed. A small group of people who share the values set out here manage this.
We encourage people to wear purple and green ribbons and RunEqual signs on their back during races to show they support our aims and that there is support for change.
We set up a supplier for RunEqual clothing. The online shop makes a small profit (we’d rather it didn’t, but the supplier does not provide this option). The members of our facebook group decided this will be donated to charity; which charity is decided by a poll.
We encourage clubs to support our values. We encourage them to equalise their own events and advocate for the races and leagues they compete in to equalise.
We encourage race organisers to equalise their events.
We engage with relevant governing bodies and seek to meet them to encourage them to equalise their events and advocate for change.
We do interviews in national and running press like these.
We set up a petition.
How can you contact RunEqual?
On facebook
On twitter
Email hello@runequal.org
Run Equal 