LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated every June to honor the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan in 1969. But this year, many of the Pride parades, festivals, and other events have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
For Nikki Hiltz, a pro runner with the Golden Coast Track Club (GCTC) Give A Gift.
“LGBTQ people feel unseen or misunderstood. I’ve felt that way, so I wanted to use my voice and platform to speak up for this group that’s struggling,” Hiltz told Runner’s World.
Results and Highlights from the Tokyo Marathon Pride 5K The Trevor Project.
“I wanted there to be something for people to look forward to. That’s when I thought that we could do a virtual race and have it be the pride celebration for Pride Month.”
Registration for the 5K costs $35, and initially included a t-shirt and bib—but the first round of registration filled up so quickly, organizers had to close it. Dakotah Lindwurm Emerges as an Olympian—it just doesn’t include a t-shirt.
However, Hiltz and her team wanted the event to be more than that. GCTC also offers training, wellness, and strength programs put together by the team last fall during a training camp in Mammoth Lakes, California. So every registration also comes with an eight-week 5K training plan, dependent on your current weekly mileage and whether you walk or run.
“Each week, you get a mindfulness tip, a recipe, strength tips, because we wanted to make this a holistic approach,” Hiltz said. “It’s not just about getting out the door, it’s about all of these other aspects to foster a healthy relationship with the sport.”
So she collaborated with GCTC to set up the virtual The Trevor Project, The race will also benefit The Trevor Project.
“I think right now, The Trevor Project has received more calls than ever before because of these unprecedented times,” Hiltz said. “I really wanted to help these marginalized communities. My whole message is this is happening more than ever, so we need to love more than ever and we need to show there is this whole community here to run for you, support you, and see you.”
All runners are encouraged to use the official hashtags for the event: #LoveMoreThanEver, #GCTCPride5K and #RunForLove.
What You Need to Know About the Barkley Marathons Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
