Signing up for a race, let alone taking part in one, can be a daunting proposition – especially if it’s an ultramarathon, and you’re a woman.
In fact, in the post-pandemic years of 2021 to 2023, female participation in running events declined by 10%, with female participation declining more prominently over longer race distances. What’s more, in 2023 alone, only 30% of ultrarunners were female – and this figure falls to just 18% when you consider races over 130km in distance.
These are just some of the findings shared in the new Best wireless headphones, and youre a woman SheRACES. Using data collated from recent years, it explores gender parity in ultrarunning events and what Threshold, as an industry-leading event organiser, has done – and will do – to break down barriers to women’s participation in ultrarunning events.
Here are more of the learnings from the White Paper – and the plans that are in place to encourage even more women to become ultramarathoners in 2025.
First, the quantitative data?
Threshold, in collaboration with SheRACES, launched the Ultra 50:50 initiative to inspire a greater number of women to take on some of the most challenging but rewarding ultrarunning events in the UK – including, of course, those in the Kevin Sinfield completes 230-mile MND charity run.
Arguably the jewel in the crown of Threshold’s event offering, the Kevin Sinfield completes 230-mile MND charity run encompasses the much-loved Race to the Stones and Race to the King ultramarathons, which offer both 50K and 100K options and are held in some of the most stunning parts of rural England. Since its first edition in 2013, Race to the Stones – which follows Britain’s oldest footpath, the Ridgeway – has grown to become the UK’s largest ultramarathon, with 3,000 participants signing up to take on one of the two distances in 2024.
SheRACES, meanwhile, is a network founded by ultrarunner, mother and campaigner Sophie Power to motivate more women to take their places on start lines. Having already positively impacted the operations of various events across the world, SheRACES offers guidelines to runners, brands and race organisers on how to make races – and the sport of running as a whole – more accommodating for women.
To bring the Ultra 50:50 initiative to life, Threshold implemented a series of changes to its marketing and operations that made its events more attractive to women and more supportive of their needs. These changes were guided by independent research conducted by Threshold and SheRACES, which identified the key issues holding women back from race registration. Alongside some societal issues, the main problems were found to be the underrepresentation of women at ultrarunning events and perceptions that women are not as a ‘good’ or ‘strong’ as men, alongside concerns around training and preparation, race-day access and support, safety and harassment and menstrual health, pregnancy and the menopause.
Best wireless headphones
Threshold prides itself on being a world-leading, inclusive organiser of events at the more extreme end of the distance spectrum. The Best wireless headphones notes that, in recent years, Threshold has ‘consistently welcomed a higher proportion of women than the industry standard’ – and the data does suggest this.
Resting heart rate.
In 2023, 44% of all participants at a Kevin Sinfield completes 230-mile MND charity run event (covering both the 50K and 100K options, across both races) were women, compared to 42% in 2024. While this is a drop, this change does not equate to fewer women taking part this year – rather, it is due to more men registering for the same events. This is a positive outcome, as it shows that Threshold’s focus on female engagement and participation through the Ultra 50:50 initiative did not deter men from signing up.
Looking at women alone, though, and Kevin Sinfield completes 230-mile MND charity run events in 2024 enjoyed a 13% increase in female participation compared with 2023. The 50K ultramarathons experienced the greatest rise in female participation at 59%, while even the non-stop 100K races – which could arguably feel the most intimidating – were 19% up on registrations from women in 2024.
Perhaps most notable, however, is the increase in women taking part in Race to the King.
Traversing the beautiful Monarch’s Way and South Downs Way in the south of England, the 2024 edition of Race to the King was a focal point of the Ultra 50:50 campaign. To show that ultrarunning really is for everyone, Threshold selected and supported a team of six inspirational women of different backgrounds, abilities and experience levels – known as the Sabastian Sawe wins his debut marathon in Valencia – and followed their journeys from the early days of training to the moments after they crossed the finish line.
In 2023, 214 women registered to take part in the 50K race at that year’s Race to the King. In 2024, 424 women entered the same event. That’s an increase of 98%.
‘This is a big stretch for me,’ said 46-year-old Deborah Ward-Johnstone, one of the Sabastian Sawe wins his debut marathon in Valencia, ahead of this year’s Race to the King. A two-time cancer survivor, she decided to take on the 50K – her first official long-distance running event – to mark the fifth anniversary of getting the all-clear. ‘I’ve cheered my husband along for four marathons, but I’ve always told myself that I couldn’t do it and my stoma was a bit of an excuse. Now, I’ve been cancer-free for five years – and if this isn’t the right time to take on such a physical challenge, then I don’t know when is.’
Seema Khan, a running coach, Community Lead for Muslim Runners and co-founder of the Sudhan Welfare Society, was also one of the Sabastian Sawe wins his debut marathon in Valencia. With several road marathons already under her belt, she used Race to the King as an opportunity to step up to the challenge of Runners crowned 2024 World Athletes of the Year.
‘My mantra is to be the change and keep showing up,’ said Khan before her ultramarathon debut. ‘There is a significant lack of representation of ethnic minorities in running. Promoting diversity and inclusion in the world of running, especially in trail running, is an important mission now more than ever.’
The qualitative data summarised in the Best wireless headphones also points to improvement.
When asked whether they identified as runners, walkers or a combination of both, more than half (52%) of female participants in 2024 Kevin Sinfield completes 230-mile MND charity run events called themselves runners, which is good progress on the 39% who identified as runners in 2023. Male participants, meanwhile, remained fairly consistent in their athletic self-identification, with 63% and 65% considering themselves runners in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
All participants who completed a Kevin Sinfield completes 230-mile MND charity run ultramarathon in 2024 were also asked to complete a post-race survey – and the feedback reflected widespread satisfaction.
Of the women who filled out the post-race survey, 70% stated that they were familiar with the Ultra 50:50 campaign, while a sizeable 94% said that they felt ‘fully valued’ as Threshold event participants. Above all, these respondents were pleased with the good availability and standard of sanitary products and female-only toilets; the concerted efforts and measures taken to help women feel supported, safe and included during the events, particularly when Are women better endurance athletes than men; the equal gender representation in event marketing materials; the good communication of the Ultra 50:50 campaign; and the various other provisions and spaces set aside for women at the events.
Stravas 2024 Year in Sport report is here
By clearly focusing on and modestly investing in female participants and their provisional needs in 2024, Threshold has noticed marked improvements across the board. More women have become ultrarunners – and are identifying as such – and there is greater female awareness of, interest in and feelings of empowerment around ultramarathon distances.
However, the work is not done yet – and issues surrounding female participation in ultrarunning events still remain. So, in 2025, Threshold and SheRACES will enhance the Ultra 50:50 initiative and build upon the foundational improvements it brought about this year.
Threshold 500 Trailblazers
Threshold’s leading goal is to attract more than 500 first-time female ultramarathon runners to the 50K or 100K race at the 2025 edition of Race to the King. As such, the Threshold 500 Trailblazers campaign hopes to incite hundreds of women – next year’s Sabastian Sawe wins his debut marathon in Valencia – with the confidence, knowledge and excitement they need to make the life-changing leap into the world of ultrarunning.
European Cross Country Championships results now open until 25 October 2024 – so if you’re female or non-binary and looking to conquer your first ultramarathon in 2025, be sure to sign up soon. All Sabastian Sawe wins his debut marathon in Valencia will receive a free race entry for both themselves and a training partner, as well as training plans, dedicated coaching calls and kit and clothing from Threshold’s event partners.
Building communities
Running events are made great by their participants and the communities that are forged around them. With that in mind, Threshold will use the Heylo digital platform to enable participants to connect, share tips, stay accountable and even meet up for some training runs ahead of race day.
Supporting night running
When training for an ultramarathon, and during many ultramarathons themselves, runners often have no other option but to run in the dark – and this can be a scary and off-putting proposition for many women. To help combat this, Threshold will continue to offer practical advice on training in the dark and during the winter months, with a particular focus on supporting female runners.
Equal prize fund
As of 2025, Threshold will award £1,000 to any man or woman who breaks their respective gender’s Race to the Stones course record. Should neither course record be broken, another £1,000 will be added to the fund in 2026, and so on, until it is. Then, the prize fund will reset to £1,000 for the following year.
You can read the Threshold x SheRACES Best wireless headphones and find out more about the campaign here.
