A Twin Cities running and marathon organization has a DEI program that provides a 50% discount to people who identify as “marginalized,” including people in BIPOC, LGBT, and disabled communities.
Twin Cities in Motion (TCM), a Minnesota non-profit organization focused on building community for runners and marathoners, calls the program “Equity in Motion.”
The program is available for those identifying as part of a “historically marginalized” community and makes one eligible to receive a 50% discount off the cost of registration. As stated on the organization’s website, TCM defines “historically marginalized” as “people who have been systematically excluded, oppressed, or disadvantaged,” including people identifying as “Black, Indigenous, People of Color, athletes with a disability, LGBTQ+, low-income individuals and non-binary.”
The program’s objective is to foster values of diversity and inclusion, and to create “a diverse and inclusive environment for all who attend or participate” in the organization’s events.
“The unifying bond among people who love running and active living transcends social, cultural, political, and economic barriers that too often divide our community,” the website reads. “Through this program, we are hoping to lessen the barriers that prevent historically underrepresented communities from registering and participating in TCM events.”
The organization also announced the program in a recent newsletter obtained by Alpha News, which describes “Equity in Motion” as part of the organization’s mission to create a “level start line.”
TCM employee and program creator, Allison Greenlee, shared her thoughts about the program in the newsletter.
“Growing up without LGBTQ+ representation – feeling like I am ‘the only one.’ It’s a lonely and scary place to be,” Greenlee said in the newsletter. “I’m in a place now where I know I can make a difference for others – whether they’re struggling with their identity or feeling a lack of representation in this sport. My hope is for anyone feeling this way, they will see and feel how diverse the running community really is and find a connection.”
In a Facebook post announcing the program, Twin Cities in Motion said its hope is to “promote social justice, equity, and inclusivity within our running community.”
A tipster, who asked to remain anonymous, told Alpha News that the program sounded “unnecessary and unfair.”
“BIPOC/LGBTQ runners are numerous and are well represented among the top finishers. Running, and a marathon in particular, brings diverse people together organically,” said the tipster. “They welcome new runners to join and train with them and are eager to help with advice. Other runners are foremost ‘runners,’ not people of certain races, ethnicities, or sexual preferences.”
The organization says it can offer up to 300 discounted entries to any of its Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend events and it asks that any “marginalized” individual who can still afford the full cost to “please consider others who may be experiencing financial hardship.”
In response to a request for comment, TCM referred Alpha News to the Equity in Motion webpage as well as pages for its other community programs.
TCM also includes a DEI statement on its website and a land acknowledgment, in which it “acknowledges that its events run on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary homelands of the Dakota People.”
Sarah Prentice
Sarah Prentice has previously written for Campus Reform and worked as an intern at Media Research Center. While continuing to pursue her degree in political science, she worked full-time in communications and media outreach for a pro-woman, pro-life non-profit. Now a fellow at Alpha News during her senior year of college, she hopes to graduate with her political science degree from SUNY Brockport and combine it with her media and communications experience to pursue political journalism. She has a special interest in reporting on stories related to social issues, education, public health, and religious freedom.
