Ultrarunning is often admired for the strength of its community, a quality that unites runners with a sense of belonging. However, we can always do more to ensure that this feeling of acceptance extends to everyone, regardless of how they identify. As one of our sport’s most vocal advocates for queer inclusivity and representation, Altra Athlete Ryan Montgomery is working to do just that. So, we sat down with him to talk about Out Trails, an initiative he started to help build safe spaces for LGBTQ+ runners. Along the way, we also discuss what trail runners, brands, and organizations, can do to support the queer community on every level; why adding a non-binary category to races is so important; and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Ryan got into ultrarunning (2:31)
- Expedition Bolivia (6:10)
- Turning pro (8:15)
- How running has helped inform his identity (11:42)
- Ways to organically add diversity to the ultra running community (15:23)
- How can races become more inclusive? (20:08)
- Out Trails (25:26)
- The value of LGBTQ+ group runs & retreats (30:22)
- Running: a year-in-review (34:31)