Some light relief in sport

[PurgatoryOfPotholes]

The Boston Marathon has added a new non-binary category for runners. Great, right?

Except this is the comment from one parent of a runner who identifies as non-binary.

Ok....this will likely start a bunch of hateful comments but here goes: As the parent of a non-binary runner, I applaud the effort for inclusion. However, perhaps a more level playing field, specifically in sports, would be non-binary AMAB and non-binary AFAB. Just my 2 cents.

So the parent realises that non-binary females are disadvantaged by being placed in the same category as non-binary males, and wants it separated by... sex.

Read more about it here

Yep. Agree with all of this.

Cant help wishing they'd signed off as
"Just my two cunts"

Also the issue that men competing in the standard category would object.

The person who won the non-binary category placed 696th overall. If they had been awarded prize money, how would that have gone down with the people who ran faster than them and placed 4th and below, but higher than 695th.

It's hilarious. Where does the quote come from, OP? Would be keen to see the responses.

I didn't take the screenshot, but I think it's from comments on the Facebook page of Runner's World magazine.

This link should take you to the discussion

This is so funny. They want a non-binary category made binary according to sex? It's almost as if you can't identify out of your sex class...

I love having to define non binaries by their sex. For example to question women's groups who include non binaries. I ask them if this will include non binary males if it is a woman only group or event.
Such stupid nonsense usually like the answers.

Yeah...
So what does being 'nonbinary' actually entail (other than being a normal three dimensional human)? Most of the high profile 'nonbinary' males I've seen seem to be indistinguishable from beardy blokes other than the pronoun 'they'.

In the case of my non binary colleague, it's a handy shorthand for "I'm a bit flaky and a pain in the arse".
Still kicking myself that I didn't have the presence of mind to say, "dunno, didn't ask" when he asked whether the person who had passed me the laptop that he'd left in a meeting room (again) was male our female.

That’s the best definition of being “NB” that I have ever come across: “a bit flaky and a pain in the arse”.

So let me get this straight. The person in the Chicago Times article didn’t want to run in the non binary category , having previously campaigned for it, because there wasn’t a subdivision for ‘elite’ runners. So, not enough ‘provision’.

I have a feeling that what Calmia (nearest autocorrect will allow) really wants is to run around alone through a cheering crowd, breasting the finishing tape to wild applause. Aka ‘Mummy, Mummy look at me on the swings, no, Mummy, look,watch me’

This person is a teacher.

This is funny as hell.

But previous poster is right... if you end up with prizes in the NB category then it's basically two prizes for male runners. And if they continue the batshittery and start to NB qualification times based on average NB results then it's more opportunity for male runners too. It already is because males have a choice of qualification times.

Getting in to run Boston marathon is an achievement in itself. They've just made it significantly easier for some men to do that.

You can't escape the sex binary in sport. You just can't get away from it. Your body either carries the evolutionary trade-offs imposed by child bearing or it does not.

Also. Look at the jump on qualification times by age category between 40-49 and 50-59. It changes 15 minutes for men and half an hour for women. That there is the effect of menopause. Something no NB male will have to deal with. I presume they've carved out space in the NB categories by taking places equally from the male and female category. (Big marathons are always over-subscribed, even if you need to qualify, so they'll have quotas got each category I imagine). I think they assign some places based on how much faster than qualifying you are. At Boston anyway. Which means a NB category will skew towards males. If they do it blind, with no regards for sex. Which just means women, particularly older women, bumped out of the event to make space for males.

"it feels performative" -- Says someone enacting a performance of a 'gender identity'.
You couldn't make it up.

they didn't think that statement through... but it can now be used time and again to show that actually its not fair

So now there are two categories for women to lose to men in: the original women's category and now the non-binary category too.
That's progress for you! 🤷🏼‍♀️

In the event, Calamia came second in the non-binary category, and in the 1862th position overall.

The person who won the non-binary category came 696th overall.

By the way, the woman who won the marathon in the women's category was 25th overall. First 24 people to complete the marathon were men.

the woman who won the marathon in the women's category was 25th overall

That's bloody impressive.

Someone should observe at some point that treating male and female non-binaries the same always tends to result in male bodies and male health requirements being addressed as default, while female unique needs being neglected. Someone should observe how this leads to systemic, institutional discrimination, such as female exclusion from sports. (AFP) - Beijing The head coach of China's women's table tennis team has been changed at the global championships in Germany. Perhaps someone might start a political movement to redress the exclusion of women.

Someone should observe at some point that treating male and female non-binaries the same always tends to result in male bodies and male health requirements being addressed as default, while female unique needs being neglected. Someone should observe how this leads to systemic, institutional discrimination, such as female exclusion from sports. (AFP) - Beijing The head coach of China's women's table tennis team has been changed at the global championships in Germany. Perhaps someone might start a political movement to redress the exclusion of women.

www.outsports.com/2021/11/17/22785781/nyc-marathon-2021-zackary-harris-non-binary

Never underestimate the self-confidence and self-congratulations of a mediocre male.

So he’s a gay man who got bullied for being gay? I’m confused. He’s a bit of a low effort NB though, he hasn’t even got the blue hair undercut.

how would that have gone down with the people who ran faster than them and placed 4th and below, but higher than 695th.

Wouldn’t that just be put down as a ‘binary-normative’ issue for those not getting first placement in their categories to deal with.

I mean, imagine if the 1st place from this year came out as NB next year!!! [gasp!]. Or even the 4th place winner! Because then place winners would earn more, and those just missing out will be rewarded too.

I could see how this could catch on. Even just for prestige of winning two categories and getting publicity and sponsorship. It is brilliant.

I wonder if it will ever click in their minds what they have started.

Thanks for sharing this.

Most races only allow contestants to enter as “male” or “female,” forcing Harris and other non-binary and trans runners to suffer an unnecessary humiliation.

I thought we were reliably told that not one person was denying their sex. So why is it humiliating?

It is all a house of cards on a shifting sands foundation, isn’t it? There seems to never be consistency.

Still, Harris is lacking one piece of recognition the other winners received: prize money. They say they haven’t been contacted by marathon organizers about their first-place finish.

I hope this was tongue in cheek. Zachary ran 3.09 which is great and I admire anyone running a marathon.

But this was an hour behind the male winner (2.08) and the female winner came in at (2.22). That women’s race would have been awesome. The first three were rather close in times!