Girl Power?

So this morning was the Run Like a Diva half marathon in Long Island.  I had planned since January to be at that race but unfortunately life got in the way so I wasn't able to make it this year.  Registration is already open for next year's race at an incredible price ($60) so maybe I should just sign up for it now.  I have a friend who finished the race this morning (Congrats Amy!!) and I'm impatiently waiting for her to get home and give all the details on pink boas, champagne & tiaras.

But all of this "girl power" has got me thinking about about women's-only races.  I know that this is a hotbed topic right now in distance running due to the brilliant minds at the IAAF deciding that records in women's road running will only be counted in women's-only races. Sorry Paula Radcliffe, guess it really doesn't matter that you set a women's marathon world record, but we will count it as your best run.  Even the world's best run.  But not the record.  Talk about a slap in the face.  I've seen pictures of the finish line and not one of them had a man carrying her over it so why strip her of something she honestly earned?  A man, a greyhound or a cheetah could pace a race. It doesn't matter how fast the pacer runs, if the athlete physically can't keep up, they aren't going to keep pace.

The thing with women's-only races is that some women love them and some women hate them.  I personally ran my first half marathon in April at a women's-only event, the More Fitness Half Marathon in NYC, and loved every minute of it.  There were over 10,000 ladies of all shapes, sizes and abilities that crossed the finish line that morning and I was incredibly proud to be one of them.  I think that a lot of women, myself included, feel that the pressure for competition isn't as overwhelming with no men around.  Plus it's just silly fun to indulge in being a "girly girl" sometimes.  But I know some girls that think a women's-only event has WAY too much estrogen in one place for their taste and couldn't stand to be around that many females at one time.

My husband, who is also a runner and a triathlete, likes to point out that he feels women's-only events are unfair because of reverse sexism.  I see his point too, how often do you see a men's-only event that isn't a specific Olympic or World Class event?  Boston, New York, Ironman, they are all major co-ed events.  And can you imagine what would happen if they ever tried to say no girls allowed?  Yet as women we have IronGirl, Run Like a Diva, Nike Women's Marathon, Disney Princess Half Marathon.  Yes, I know men can participate in many of these events but are often not eligible for awards.  Besides, how many male athletes want to be a diva or a princess unless they're trying to prove a point?

What it all comes down to in the end is that we're ALL athletes.  Whether we are an elite or a beginner, a man or a woman, we all cross the same finish line, no matter how long it takes us.  We all worked our asses off to get there, literally in some cases.  We all keep trying to be better and faster.  We all love the feeling of finishing.  So what else do we really need to know?  

Maybe we need to stop over thinking it all and just go for a run. :)