Is UTMB doing enough to support women athletes?
"When you promise us safe spaces, they have to be safe," the U.K.'s Sophie Power posted after a disappointing experience at this year's UTMB
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courtesy of Sophie Power
Sophie Power, a British ultrarunner and advocate for women’s participation in the sport, recently shared a disappointing experience during her 150km TDS race during UTMB World Series Finals in August. In a social media post, Power detailed how she found no tampons at several aid stations, despite UTMB’s promise. She also encountered male supporters entering the only women-only toilet at a large aid station, undermining the “safe space” that had been promised.
In 2023, UTMB made strides toward better supporting female athletes by committing to key initiatives such as providing period products at aid stations, establishing female-only toilets and ensuring equal media coverage for the women’s race. While improvements were made in race coverage, Power’s experience highlighted some serious shortcomings the organization needs to tackle. “It is not enough to promise,” she said. “In fact, it is worse, as we rely on those promises.” Despite raising concerns with aid-station staff, little was done to address the issue during Power’s race.
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Why the shortcomings matter
Power’s frustrations highlight a broader issue: women runners rely on promised resources and facilities to ensure they can focus on their performance. When these commitments are not upheld, it’s more than an inconvenience—it’s a matter of fairness and safety. After 18+ hours of racing (or at any time), having essential period products and private changing spaces should not be a luxury, but a standard. “It is not an excuse to say “it was in the operational plan,” Powers said. “It has to be delivered. Tampons can easily be centrally purchased and “no men” signs distributed if aid station volunteers can’t be relied on.”
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In her race, the lack of enforcement around female-only spaces became particularly problematic, and when Power approached the man running the aid station, the situation was shrugged off. “He said there weren’t enough male toilets and he couldn’t police it. I said these were supporters and they could go outside,” she explained. Power underscored the need for better education and clearer boundaries for all race participants. “Sadly, male athletes need to be briefed about not entering female-only areas, too.”
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The path forward
Power’s advocacy extends beyond social media. She is the founder of SheRACES, a non-profit that works to remove barriers for women in races. SheRACES collaborates with events like UTMB to improve policies that support women, and Power herself is well-known for her remarkable endurance feats (most recently setting a Guinness World Record for running across Ireland), including the viral moment when she breastfed her three-month-old baby during the 106-mile UTMB in 2018. Her foundation pushes for more equitable treatment in races worldwide, ensuring that women’s participation is valued equally.
UTMB did make some immediate changes after the TDS race, such as improving visibility for women athletes at the CCC start line. But the question remains: is that enough, or should UTMB—and the broader ultra-running community—do more to ensure female athletes are supported equally?
We reached out to UTMB, and they shared the following statement:
“For the 2024 edition, we identified several areas to enhance the experience and visibility of women in our races. Some of our initiatives, such as media coverage and visibility at the starting line, have been successful. Others, however, require improvements to meet the needs of female runners and our ambitions. For example, the training of all teams at the aid stations is an area we will focus on in 2025. Committed to making our events ever more accessible to everyone, we conduct analyses based on runner surveys and feedback from professional teams, and we continue our dialogue with She Races and other organisations.”
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