Pre-race yoga sessions. Training guides and support from female Olympians. Chocolate milk toasts. Tampons stocked in every Porta-potty. You’ve never seen a race quite like this before—and it’s changing the face of running for rookies and elite athletes alike.
Every Woman’s Marathon, powered by Team Milk, is a U.S. marathon designed by women, for women. It was born of a clear need: the dire lack of female-centric marathon experiences available for distance runners. Though almost half of American marathon participants are women, 60 percent of female runners feel that endurance races cater more to men. Historically, women were excluded from marathons because of the (ridiculous) belief that they couldn’t handle the distance; it wasn’t until 1972 that the prestigious Boston Marathon allowed women to participate. That legacy of exclusion still persists across many distance races even today, with race design, gear, and training guides predominantly geared toward men.