Run Like a Goddess? BAMRs weigh in on the Athena class.

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A discussion over on our Facebook page ignited a discussion about weight and racing that we wanted to share more widely.

Kali was recently signing up for a marathon, and she was debating signing up in Athena division, designated for women runners in this race who weigh more than 165 pounds. It's the female equivalent of the Clydesdale division, which generally is applied to men who top 200 pounds.

SBS has run in Athena category when the marathon she was doing offered it. For Big Sur, weight was self-reported, but for Portland, it involved getting weighed at expo.

How 'bout you: If you qualify as an Athena, do you register for that category?

Laural said: Not a chance. I don't fit into that category now (I used to). And there's no chance ever that I'd weigh myself at an expo to get into a category. Not because there is anything wrong with it, but because I'm self-conscious about my weight.

Bertina said: It levels the playing field,s o to speak. It’s unfair for a heavier runner to be grouped with someone who only weighs 125 pounds. It’s just another way to group runners and another category to place in. I’ve only ever been self reported. Not sure how I’d feel about the public weighing.

Nayo said: I don't ever weigh myself due to an eating disorder. I would probably qualify for the Athena division but they can f*** right off if they expect me to get on a scale. The truth is I only compete against myself anyway so I'm not invested in ranking.

Estyr said: I hate the Athena category. As a 5' 11" woman I will always be Athena. I 'get' it for a performance sport where lighter is an advantage, but I still hate it. It makes me think about my size and creates a sense of 'other' when I am trying to celebrate my body and its strength. It's like the plus clothing section in stores. Why can't all sizes be together?

Robin said: I find a weight-only based distinction strange. A woman who is 6’ and 165 pounds is very different from a woman who is 5’5” and 165 — it can’t truly level the field. I fluctuate in and out of Athena — depending on how low the cutoff is — but I never register in it.

Sara said: I register as Athena at every race it is offered for (I usually race triathlons). It is a weight class like in boxing: as previous posters have mentioned, the energy expended by a 125 pound person vs a 195 pound person is widely different. I like competing against people who are similar to me. For those who think it is a way to get a medal when you might not podium in age group, know that the Athena category can be hugely harder to podium in, depending on where you are racing. I also believe it goes a long way toward making triathlons more inviting to plenty of newcomers. It also helps that the Athena racing community is, by far, the single most welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable, and badass group of athletes I have ever met.

So what do you think, BAMRs? Would you or do you register in the Athena category when it is offered? Why? And how do you feel about the public weigh-in?

Run Like a Goddess? BAMRs weigh in on the Athena class. posted first on http://www.anothermotherrunner.com