Salomon To Host Inaugural Women’s Trail Half Marathon In San Francisco
Salomon North America is excited to announce that it will host the first-annual Salomon WMN Trail Half Marathon, in partnership with Athletic Brewing Co., San Francisco Running Company and family support with guidance from &Mother. The event will take place in the Marin Headlands of the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday, September 24, 2022.
As a leader in trail running, Salomon has supported the progression of the sport with innovative footwear, athletes and through iconic race sponsorships like Broken Arrow Skyrace and Mt. Marathon – and now with the brand’s first owned race experience.
“When I think about my first experiences in trail running, I was often the only female toeing the line,” says Stephanie Gardner, Salomon North America Trail Run Marketing Manager. “Even with the immense growth the sport has had in recent years, we know women’s participation in trail running is still being outpaced by men. This race is all about combining the best parts of community, competition and accessibility that women look for in a race in order to celebrate and amplify one another. Supporting women has always been important for Salomon, so we’re looking forward to finally bringing this to life.”
The race is open to all cis and trans women, as well as non-binary individuals who are comfortable in a space centered on the experiences, empowerment and community of women, and features a fun and scenic race with free childcare, a generous prize purse, an après race celebration and more.
“Part of working towards gender equity must consider the structural barriers related to parenthood. When mothers face additional obstacles to get to the starting line of a race, it not only limits their opportunity to participate, but can make it seem that they do not belong there,” shares Molly Dickens, co-founder of &Mother. “In order to remove obstacles, mothers must be provided with easier choices around childcare, breastfeeding and the time needed to physically recover after giving birth. It’s amazing to see Salomon stepping up to explore ways to remove barriers and set a precedent that more women, with and without children, can participate on the trail and beyond.
The 13.1-mile race will take individuals through the rolling hills of the Marin Headlands on a single-track loop course that starts and ends at the iconic Rodeo Beach. The race will provide free, on-site, certified childcare and lactation stations with breastfeeding/pumping areas and milk storage at the start and finish. The après party will welcome racers to a post-race celebration with premium gifts, wine, non-alcoholic brews from Athletic Brewing Co. and local cuisine. To spark a healthy amount of competition, runners will compete for $13,000 in prize money, which will be distributed to the top 10 finishers. The prize money will be broken down into $5,000 for 1st place, $3,000 for 2nd place, $1,500 for 3rd place and $500 for 4th-10th place. In addition to the cash prizes for the top 10 finishers, the first-place winners of each age group will receive a $150 gift card to shop at San Francisco Running Company.
“It’s thrilling to be a part of Salomon’s inaugural WMN Trail Half Marathon,” says San Francisco Running Company general manager, Mecque Tucker. “We look forward to welcoming women of all abilities and backgrounds to the Marin Headlands this fall and introducing them to our incredible trails.”
To learn more about the Salomon WMN Trail Half Marathon visit https://www.salomon.com/en-us/stories-guides/trail-running/news-salomons-wmn-trail-1/2-marathon. Registration opens at 12:00am PST on Thursday, June 23rd. The race is open to 200 women at a $125 entry fee.
