At Trailblazer Running we strive to create and foster a culture of inclusivity. We believe the trails are for everyone and our environment can only benefit from more people experiencing, recreating in, and caring for our natural ecosystems. We want everyone to feel accepted and welcomed at our events. With this in mind, we have established a Transgender & Non-Binary Runner Policy for all Trailblazer Running events.

Protecting our Inclusive and Welcoming Environment

Any comment or statement, written or verbal, that marginalizes or denigrates an athlete based upon race, gender, gender identity, or sexuality and occurs on Trailblazer Running moderated Facebook pages or groups or at Trailblazer Running events will not be tolerated and may lead to a one year ban from any Trailblazer Running events.

Entrance Policy for Transgender Athletes

We will accept each entrant’s declared gender at face value, and no additional supporting evidence is required.

A transgender female (male-to-female) entrant can register to compete as a female, provided they have undergone continuous, medically supervised hormone treatment for gender transition for at least one year prior to the race.

A transgender male (female-to-male) entrant can register to compete as a male. Transgender male runners cannot register to compete as a female if they have begun hormone treatment for gender transition, that includes testosterone or any other banned substance (as defined by the World Antidoping Agency).

Runners may compete in the category of their sex assigned at birth if they have not undergone hormone treatment.

Transgender entrants, at their option, may provide medical documentation related to their transition to the Race Director and/or Medical Director(s) prior to the race. All information about the runner’s gender identity and medical information, including any information provided pursuant to this policy, will be kept strictly confidential.

Challenges of Results Involving Transgender Athletes

Trailblazer Running has adopted this policy and the ability to challenge results out of a desire for inclusion and fairness. As such we expect all parties to behave in a manner that is honest, compassionate, and respectful. We will not tolerate hateful or discriminatory behavior by any of our runners, or those associated with the race, regardless of the cause.

Challenges may be made to results, which are directly related to a runner’s self-declared gender, only when a top 3 position is at stake. A challenge must be made in writing or email to the Race Director within 10 days of race completion and must be submitted privately and with the utmost discretion and respect for all parties involved.

Neither party may publicly post or discuss the challenge until a decision has been reached by the race. Challenges not related to a runner’s gender status, such as course cutting or other rule violations, will be handled in the normal process.

In the event of a challenge, or as deemed necessary, Trailblazer Running may request supporting documentation from a medical professional. All information about the runner’s gender identity and medical information, including any information provided pursuant to this policy, will be kept strictly confidential. The Race Director, with input from the Medical Director(s), will review the relevant facts and make a final decision.

If the runner is not in compliance with this policy, they will forfeit any place positions but will retain their official finish. Any announcements made by the race will simply state whether a runner was or was not in compliance with our policy and the associated action taken by the race. We will not disclose, unless requested or allowed by the transgender runner, any medical information related to the decision.

Entrance Policy for Non-Binary Athletes

Non-binary is an umbrella term for the many genders that are not exclusively man or woman. We recognize that some individuals exist between the gender binary of men and women, while others exist outside of the gender binary, or have no gender at all.

Our registration platform UltraSignup.com currently offers a non-binary gender option for runners and we are happy to carry over this designation to our results when posted. Note this should appear as an option when creating an UltraSignup account. If you already have an account you may need to edit your account to show your gender as non-binary. Here are instructions on how to edit your profile.  In addition, we will provide an opportunity in the registration process for transgender and non-binary runners to express their desired pronouns. Please note, at this time there will be no awarding in the nonbinary category. If you identify as non-binary but would like to compete for place awards we ask that you sign up for your birth gender pool.

We plan to periodically review this policy to be sure it is up to date and equitable.  Please contact race director, Kirk Cherep at info@trailblazerrunning.co if you have any questions, comments, or feedback.