Where are the Nonbinary Podiums and Prize Purses?

Over the last few years trail running lead the charge and we’d seen a solid effort being made to include nonbinary podiums and prize purses at big events like Broken Arrow and other high profile races. This was largely a positive development and one driven from the US trail running scene. Euro-centric UTMB for example never showed signs to add this option. Now with the IOC drawing a (very shortsighted line in the sand) and ACG funding some of the largest prize purses I wonder if we see the this progress stalling out. As of today Broken Arrow has not announced their solution for a nonbinary podium. Gorge Waterfalls also only has a prize purse for men and women. Black Canyon Ultras only cashed out their crowdfunded ‘Race Purse‘ for the top men and women.

This is not a criticism toward the race directors, but an observation of a larger trend. At my LBA race this March I had zero nonbinary runners at the starting line. Several nonbinary athletes ran in 2025.

For 2026:

• Broken Arrow 23k lists 1078 runners and 12 (1.1%) of those self-selected nonbinary as their gender.
• Gorge Waterfalls 50K lists 458 runners and (1%) of those self-selected nonbinary as their gender.
• Black Canyon 50K had only 1 non-binary finisher out of 850.

These numbers aren’t meant to discourage the efforts of diversity advocates, quite the opposite. This is meant as an open question and reminder for us to continue to do right for all runners and participants of our sport. As trail running more and more professionalizes it behooves us to remember what makes us special and fight for inclusion for everyone.