The Right to Race: The Boston Marathon’s Gender Policy and The Question of Worthiness

Likened to the Olympic Games for amateurs, running the Boston Marathon is a coveted goal that has become increasingly difficult to achieve. How people “earn” a spot in the race is not without controversy. Rhetoric in marathon communities about the deserving vs. the undeserving, and hard work versus luck or natural talent, mimics the age-old religious question of grace versus works, and how salvation is reached. The recent inclusion of a category for non-binary runners has increased such debates, and gender non-conforming athletes are maligned for taking the spots of more “worthy runners.” Several religious groups have also openly opposed the inclusion of transgender and non-binary athletes in sports, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This raises the question of who is “worthy” and if anyone has a God-given right to race, which has critical implications for the future of the sport.