In 2018, when ultrarunner Sophie Power looked ahead at her training schedule and race calendar, she realized that the UTMB race date also marked three months postpartum. She reached out to the race directors requesting a deferral, only to be told they did not have a pregnancy policy because pregnancy was considered a choice. Her options were simple: lose her spot or race.

So she decided to run just three months after giving birth.

A photographer captured an image that quickly went viral as a powerful example of both resilience and the challenges facing new mothers. Along the rugged 100-mile course around the Massif du Mont Blanc, Power stopped at aid stations to breastfeed, balancing fuelling both her own body and her baby. The photograph shows Power breastfeeding while, beside her, a male runner lies on the floor with his legs resting on a chair.

 

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There were not enough megapixels to illuminate the challenges, barriers, and realities faced by athlete mothers, but that image signaled the beginning of SheRACES.

Race directors reached out, all asking the same question: “We never even thought about pregnancy and how that could be a barrier to women getting on a start line of an endurance sport. And if we have forgotten about something that is so huge and frankly pretty obvious, which is pregnancy. What else? What else are we not realizing?”

The answer to that question became Power’s call to action. Founder of SheRACES, she now runs to educate, to advocate, remove barriers, and ultimately help more women in sport find their finish lines.

Expanded to Triathlon

While SheRACES originated in running, is has expanded into triathlon, with cycling also on the horizon going forward. The mission is clear: wherever women are toeing the start line, SheRACES wants to be there, helping improve visibility, representation, and working alongside race organizers to elevate the experience for women.

We sat down with Julie Hambleton, the recently appointed Global Development Lead for SheRACES, to discuss the specific challenges women face in triathlon. Hambleton opened with the same call to action, placing particular emphasis on her Canadian roots, saying: “We really want to make sure that Canada is one of the best places for women in endurance sports.”

The conversation then turned to the research SheRACES has conducted to better understand women’s experiences (and challenges) in sport, as well as the guidelines and accreditation program SheRACES has developed for race directors.

Beyond pregnancy and post-partum, the research has flagged several additional triathlon-specific barriers for women. For instance, women have described feeling unsafe in the swim and unable to shield themselves from being pushed and kicked by male athletes who were much larger than then. The feedback continued onto the bike leg where, as Hambleton explained, “So many women surveyed have had horrific experiences on the bike with men passing them in a way that’s very dangerous, or not allowing them to pass.”

In sum, the goal is advocacy, education, and helping to think of and implement creative solutions to improve the racing experience for women, reduce barriers, and ultimately work towards a more equitable experience in sport.

If this is a cause you relate to and you’d like to get involved, contact julieh@sheraces.com to learn more.