Nonbinary runner protests New York City Marathon award changes

When marathoner and inclusivity activist Cal Calamia won the New York City Marathon’s nonbinary division in a blistering 2:48:46, they hoped to celebrate a hard-earned success after a challenging year. Instead, they found themself facing yet another hurdle: the race had added stipulations to the nonbinary awards, ruling Calamia out of receiving any prize money.

Calamia signed up for the 2023 New York City Marathon after the event added a nonbinary division in 2022. “The marathon boasted its inclusivity, and drew me to compete,” the runner said. “Following my win in NYC, I had not heard from NYRR (New York Road Runners), so I reached out. They informed me that I was not eligible for prize money, having not raced six NYRR races in 2023.”

“There was no stipulation around having to run six races within a year to be eligible when I registered,” Calamia says, adding that for them, the new requirement is impossible to meet, since they live and work in San Francisco. “Apparently, the policy was updated on May 12, 2023, months after I registered for the race.” The only other award-winners who must meet the six-race requirement are those in the NYRR (club member) category; the overall winners of the other gender-based categories do not.

Battling for inclusivity is nothing new to Calamia: the runner recently won an epic battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Calamia was assigned female at birth, and has been open about taking testosterone as gender-affirming hormone therapy. In October, they were granted a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) to compete in male, nonbinary and open categories at USA Track & Field (USATF)-governed events. This is believed to be the first exemption of its kind.

Calamia’s fight didn’t begin with USADA. The 27-year-old high-school cross-country coach in San Francisco has been changing the face of marathons across the country. In 2022, they successfully advocated for a nonbinary division at the San Francisco Marathon, which they then won. Calamia also helped organizers of the Boston Marathon create their first nonbinary division. “Every step forward feels like a massive achievement, but then is usually followed by backlash or the need to address a systemic inequity,” Calamia says.”All of these things are huge successes, but there is so much more work to do. It’s a never-ending loop. I find the greatest pride in little moments where someone tells me that I inspired them to come out, or to run, or to support their trans kid.”

Calamia says that while they are incredibly proud to have helped tear down barriers for the trans community, the work is emotionally exhausting. “It’s crushing to put in all the work and win the division, just to be told that I am not actually eligible to win,” Calamia says. “It has been a really rough year, and I wish I could have ended the season with a smooth process that allowed me to just celebrate and relax. Instead, here I am again, trying to push the system to recognize the humanity of trans and non-binary athletes.”

In early November, Calamia wrote to NYRR, asking them to honor the prize-money policy as it stood at the time of registration, “thus honoring its commitment to inclusivity and equity,” they explain. Calamia has heard nothing back. “If we want these categories to grow and support non-binary athletes to their full potential, we have to prevent athletes from having the type of year I’ve had,” they say. “And we have to hold organizations accountable when they institute exclusionary, inequitable policies.”

When asked how runners can encourage and support inclusivity, Calamia has simple, yet powerful suggestions. “Empathize. Assume the best in people,” they say. “Recognize that there is enough space for all of us. Hold that space. Create it. Invite each other in.”

posted Friday December 1st
by Keeley Milne