The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will feature nonbinary runners in a category of their own for the first time Sunday.
Currently, there are reportedly fewer than 100 nonbinary runners among the 40,000 registered. The marathon has a longtime tradition of featuring wheelchair racers as well.
“Discussions are ongoing with nonbinary participants and leaders within our sport to work together towards our goal of creating more inclusive event experiences,” a race spokesperson reported.
THE BOSTON MARATHON DOESN’T NEED A NONBINARY CATEGORY
The marathon is sponsored by its namesake Bank of America since 2008. Nike has also been the footwear and apparel sponsor for the race since then and has a current contract through 2028.
Some 12,000 runners are racing under a charitable cause of their choice, which is a record for the marathon. Charity runners in 2021 raised $21.4 million in 2021, which was on a smaller field than Sunday’s race. When racers return to the starting line at Grant Park, it will be the first time they’ll run the traditional field since 2019.
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The addition of the marathon’s nonbinary category comes after the Boston Marathon announced in September it will not require its runners to disclose their gender.
