A famous Minnesota marathon is offering hundreds of discounted tickets to athletes from “underrepresented communities,” including racial minorities and LGBT people.
Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth said it will offer 500 discounted tickets to the special groups, which include but are not limited to “communities of color, athletes with disabilities, non-binary athletes, and LGBTQI+ athletes.”
“In helping with the cost of registration, our organization hopes to open our arms to runners in those communities and to help them feel a sense of belonging within our race, our city, and our sport,” the marathon’s website reads.
Entries to the race are coveted. The marathon is already sold out, even though it is still five months away. But the marathon’s website homepage emphasizes that “DEI entries [are] still available.”
An “Equity, Access, and Inclusion Policy” from 2023 on the marathon’s website declares that “our intention [is] to create an event that adheres to principles of social equity and inclusion and is open, welcoming, safe, and accessible for all who have an interest in participating.”
Despite the marathon’s repetitive emphasis on inclusivity, it places restrictions on runners who identify as transgender or non-binary.
Trans-identifying runners who want to be eligible for cash prizes or age-division awards must prove their testosterone has been below a certain level for a year, in some cases longer, and they must have claimed to be female for at least four years.
Meanwhile, runners can register as non-binary for the “mass participation start,” but if they want to run in the “elite fields” they must email the elite athlete director. They are also restricted to a separate prize pool they can compete for amongst each other.
Marathon organizers did not respond to a request for comment.
DEI policies in both education and the corporate world have come under fire in recent years from critics who argue they are discriminatory. One of the biggest blows to DEI was the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action at universities. The Court is set to rule on another case this year that could have implications for corporate DEI programs.
Already though, companies are taking notice.
On Monday, McDonald’s announced it will step back from several DEI initiatives, citing a “shifting legal landscape.” Legal experts have cautioned that in some cases, DEI policies risk causing legal problems.
Grandma’s Marathon, named after its original sponsor, Grandma’s Restaurant, says it is “one of the largest and best-known” marathons in the country and has become a huge community event that marks the “unofficial kickoff to summer” for the area.
The race began in 1977 and now attracts more than 20,000 runners every year to run along the shore of Lake Superior into downtown Duluth.
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A famous Minnesota marathon is offering hundreds of discounted tickets to athletes from “underrepresented communities,” including racial minorities and LGBT people.
Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth said it will offer 500 discounted tickets to the special groups, which include but are not limited to “communities of color, athletes with disabilities, non-binary athletes, and LGBTQI+ athletes.”
“In helping with the cost of registration, our organization hopes to open our arms to runners in those communities and to help them feel a sense of belonging within our race, our city, and our sport,” the marathon’s website reads.
Entries to the race are coveted. The marathon is already sold out, even though it is still five months away. But the marathon’s website homepage emphasizes that “DEI entries [are] still available.”
An “Equity, Access, and Inclusion Policy” from 2023 on the marathon’s website declares that “our intention [is] to create an event that adheres to principles of social equity and inclusion and is open, welcoming, safe, and accessible for all who have an interest in participating.”
Despite the marathon’s repetitive emphasis on inclusivity, it places restrictions on runners who identify as transgender or non-binary.
Trans-identifying runners who want to be eligible for cash prizes or age-division awards must prove their testosterone has been below a certain level for a year, in some cases longer, and they must have claimed to be female for at least four years.
Meanwhile, runners can register as non-binary for the “mass participation start,” but if they want to run in the “elite fields” they must email the elite athlete director. They are also restricted to a separate prize pool they can compete for amongst each other.
Marathon organizers did not respond to a request for comment.
DEI policies in both education and the corporate world have come under fire in recent years from critics who argue they are discriminatory. One of the biggest blows to DEI was the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action at universities. The Court is set to rule on another case this year that could have implications for corporate DEI programs.
Already though, companies are taking notice.
On Monday, McDonald’s announced it will step back from several DEI initiatives, citing a “shifting legal landscape.” Legal experts have cautioned that in some cases, DEI policies risk causing legal problems.
Grandma’s Marathon, named after its original sponsor, Grandma’s Restaurant, says it is “one of the largest and best-known” marathons in the country and has become a huge community event that marks the “unofficial kickoff to summer” for the area.
The race began in 1977 and now attracts more than 20,000 runners every year to run along the shore of Lake Superior into downtown Duluth.
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