I recommend we make all WVMTR events Trail Sisters Approved.  This primarily means having equal prizes for male and female, equal space on the start line, and feminine products at aid stations. 

Trail Sisters Approved certification is free and only requires acknowledging the race will comply with the conditions. For the KT, I also donated $50 for the race to be added to the Trail Sisters calendar of Approved races. 

Sydney Wait brought the Trail Sisters idea to our race committee’s attention. I had never thought of many of these issues and found it to be eye opening. 

Encouraging female participation or at least hosting our races in a manner that respects the female competition as much as the male competition is a great goal for our races. Using the already existing Trails Sisters guidelines, we can easily do that at each WVMTR race. 

The cost is $0 for the designation. I would like to discuss a donation from the club to have the slate of WVMTR races added to the Trail Sisters calendar. This was $50 per race. 

 This sounds good! 

I'm all for it.  Bob, would you be willing to take the lead on certification and education of our RDs?

I LOVE THIS! I have been in the position of needing sanitary items during a race and it is an awkward spot to be in. I think this is so important. Thanks to Bob for bringing this to our attention!

I support this.

Note that if only men are working an aid station just label the box of lady items and the men can just point the women in the right direction. In my experience most dudes are pretty stand offish when it comes to this subject. 

@asdolin I looked on the TS website and it says the items have to be in view not hidden under a table somewhere.  I think a gallon bag with some items in it laid out at the end of the table would be my ideal! That way nobody has to ask anyone, they just get what they need and move on!

@acasseday No problem!

This makes me think about nasa sending 100 tampons on the space shuttle when Sallie Ride was the first American in space for 5 days.   

I’m all for it.  

@daniel 🤣 🤣 🤣

The other requirement is women specific swag such as t-shirts.  I'm all for Trail Sisters races and hope all race directors do it. I'm also for encouraging them to do so but I am not in favor of making it a requirement. 

The biggest change I can see for me as a race director is the feminine products at aid stations.  Honestly, I've never even thought of providing such products -- out of pure ignorance.  I have zero problem with that.  Dan and I already do all the other things (equal podium spots, equal prizes, female specific apparel, equal opportunity to starting line).

I think designating all our events as Trail Sisters approved is a positive thing.  I see Matt's point.  I really don't like requirements, but this is such an easy requirement that it gives me no pause.

I believe we should have a motion if we are to proceed.

I make a motion for all WVMTR races to be certified Trail Sisters races by the end of 2024. 

feel free to make a different motion if you feel end of 2023 is more appropriate. 

This gives races like Frozen Sasquatch, who may have already made purchase decisions on clothing, another cycle to change their process. I think most races will easily accomplish Trail Sister ratings since we already have equal podium spots and sex specific clothing, we just need to provide feminine hygiene products at aid stations which is easily doable. 

One question I have is if we offer non-shirt items, such as hats or socks, do sex specific options even exist? I think the Trail Sister rating says ‘if sex specific items exist, you must offer them’, so we should be okay with unisex hats. 

@arhodes5, I imagine that if you are making a good faith effort, that unisex items for all participants is totally acceptable.  From what I can deduce, this designation requires quite a bit of good faith from the Trail Sisters end of things as well.  There is no way that they can feasibly hold each designated race accountable.  We always strive to promote equality, for all runners, in WVMTR events.  This is easy to get behind.

Maybe Ashley will chime in, but I don't think it would be difficult for Frozen Sasquatch to comply 1/23.  Putting off such a designation another year seems like an unnecessary delay for a very simple thing.