New Research Reveals Pregnant and Parenting Runners Struggle to Overcome Barriers at Running Events
For All Mothers+ partnered with Carleton University’s Health & Wellness Equity Research Group to explore how mass-participation running events can better support individuals who are pregnant, parenting, and/or breast/chest-feeding.
Pregnant and parenting runners face issues of equitable access to races and running events; this creates a barrier to entry or reengagement during a critical time when parents need to focus on maintaining their health and well-being through activities that center their identity, remind them of their strength, and connect them with communities that can help combat common feelings of isolation.
The Race Towards Equity and Accessibility for Pregnant/Parenting Runners research study identifies the primary barriers and presents solutions that running event organizers can implement to support and market to pregnant and parenting runners.
The data shows that the overwhelming majority of participants prefer to support races that offer family provisions, even if they don’t personally need them.
92% (strongly) agree that they prefer to support races that provide childcare options
95% (strongly) agree that they prefer to support races that provide pumping/lactation support services for athletes
Of the parents that participated (85% of the respondents):
83% reported that pregnancy and/or their role as a parent or guardian has prevented them from participating in a race.
66% say lack of childcare is the main reason they can’t race
40% have skipped races due to concerns about breastfeeding or pumping logistics
45% have just one child, showing that even with smaller families, racing barriers exist
The top barriers for participation are:
Lack of onsite childcare or stroller options
No accommodations for breastfeeding and pumping participants
Inflexible deferral policies for women on various points of their maternal journey, including pregnancy, postpartum, fertility treatments, or miscarriage
See the infographic of the findings here.
"Our findings underscore the strong support for supportive race environments that accommodate athletes with young children. An overwhelming majority of respondents preferred supporting races that offer childcare and lactation services, even if they do not personally require them,” said Francine Darroch, associate professor and research lead at Carleton University. “These results highlight the broader recognition of barriers faced by parents and guardians. The data emphasizes the need for race organizers to prioritize family-friendly accommodations to foster truly accessible participation."
“Obviously the sport of running is very near and dear to my heart, but you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to know that the running community can change people’s lives, especially mothers’,” said Alysia Montaño, founder and CEO of For All Mothers+. “By addressing systemic barriers like the ones identified in this study, we can continue the trajectory of welcoming people into the running community that not only have diverse backgrounds, but are in different life stages. We can demonstrate the impact of thoughtful, family-oriented policies on race participation and satisfaction.”
We call on race directors and organizers to take heed of the data and explore ways to address these barriers as part of their development plans to make events more family-friendly and thus increase participation numbers. For All Mother+ offers a free playbook that gives general guidelines and solutions for the top barriers identified in this study. To access the free playbook, please fill out this survey and/or register for our webinar with Running USA on March 18, where For All Mothers+ will share best practices and answer questions.
For families looking for a growing list of running events that offer family provisions, please see the For All Mothers+ Family Forward Event Tracker. We encourage our community to continue submitting events that they are aware of providing family support provisions so we can expand our list for all runners to benefit and support.
Interested in hosting an event to champion mothers through our work at For All Mothers+? Sign up to host a local MomForwardMovement meetup and receive a special edition “Race in a Box” to make your event a success!
Are you a runner that wants to run to help raise awareness around the motherhood penalty and For All Mothers+? Run with us for any of our amazing charity partner races!
As phase two of their research collaboration, For All Mothers+ and Carleton University have launched the Motherhood Penalty in Sports survey, designed to study the impact of motherhood on professional athletes' careers, focusing on how and when women leave professional sports due to the real or perceived limitations of balancing career and motherhood. Mothers that are current and former professional athletes are encouraged to participate in the survey here [hyperlink].
About Health & Wellness Equity Research Group (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada)
The Health & Wellness Equity Research Group is dedicated to advancing health equity through physical activity. Founded by Dr. Francine Darroch – an Associate Professor and expert in qualitative health research, inequities in pregnancy and physical activity, and public health – our team conducts feminist participatory action research to co-create inclusive, trauma- and violence-informed physical activity programming. Our work focuses on improving access to sport and movement for pregnant and parenting individuals, families, and communities facing systemic barriers.
Working alongside For All Mothers+, athletes, organizations, and policymakers, we aim to reshape the landscape of physical activity and sport so that all individuals—regardless of gender, parenting status, or background—can participate fully and equitably. Dr. Darroch, her Research Manager Sydney Smith, and their team are continuing to explore the intersections of parenthood, athleticism, and gender equity at all levels of sport, including through initiatives such as The Race Towards Equity and Accessibility for Pregnant and Parenting Runners as well as Breaking Records, Not Budgets: Taking on the Motherhood Penalty in Women’s Professional Sports.
We invite you to check out our website https://traumainformedmovement.ca/ and follow us on IG @HEResearchgroup as we push the boundaries of inclusion and advocate for meaningful change in sport and beyond!
About For All Mothers+
For All Mothers+ (formerly &Mother) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit on a mission to eliminate the motherhood penalty – the phenomenon by which women face economic, social, and health disadvantages after becoming mothers. We are breaking the barriers that limit mothers and building a world where they thrive in pursuit of health, career, and personal ambition. Through the public lens of sports, we are championing the needs of all mothers by demonstrating the efficacy of family-first infrastructure and trailblazing a path for other industries to follow. The organization was founded on Mother’s Day 2020 by Olympic Medalist, seven-time U.S. Track and Field Champion, and mother of three, Alysia Montaño. Please visit www.forallmothers.org and follow us on Instagram @forallmothersorg to learn more about our work and how you can support our mission.
