New Jersey Marathon Adds ‘Non-binary’ Category
The newly created Jersey City Marathon and Half-Marathon will create a separate category for non-binary competitors.
The event, which will be held on Sunday, has roughly 6,300 runners signed up. Out of the 6,300 competitors, 10 are non-binary.
According to the Star-Ledger, the race will feature male and female categories, along with the additional non-binary category.
The top finishers in each category will receive a cash prize. Those in the male and female groups will get $5,000, with the non-binary winner receiving $1,000.
So for the other ~6,290 runners, they’ll be competing to win $5,000, while just 10 will compete to win $1,000.
Pretty good odds if you can get them!
Race director Steve Lipski told the Star-Ledger that the decision came from “love for people, our respect for people.”
The cash distribution is closer than in previous marathons that included non-binary categories. The New York City event in 2022 paid out $5,000 to the winner compared to $100,000 for males and females.
The decision to include a nonbinary registration and reward, Lipski said, came from the race organizers’ “love for people, our respect for people.”
“Who are we to challenge how they identify,” Lipski, himself a 12-time marathoner, told the Star-Ledger.
NEW YORK, US - NOVEMBER 6: Over 50,000 athletes and participants ran the 51st edition of the 51st edition of TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 6. People laced up their running shoes for the 26.2-mile journey across all five boroughs. The organization, which is one of the biggest marathons in the world, gave New Yorkers great excitement. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Non-binary Category Raises Question About Transgender Athletes
It’s all well and good for event organizers to create new categories for non-binary competitors.
But why can’t they do the same for transgender athletes then? Especially considering there can be active safety concerns for biological males competing against girls or women.
It could be argued that there are significantly fewer trans competitors, making the bar lower. But apparently marathons are willing to create separate categories for 10 out of 6,300 people.
Why not do the same to ensure fairness in women’s sports?