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Our Newest Initiative.
Our Newest Initiative.
Are you a marathon runner who believe's in Equal Distance?
Are you a marathon runner who believe's in Equal Distance?
Please sign and SHARE.
Please sign and SHARE.
When marathon runners toe the line at 26.2 miles, they won’t be asked to run a shorter version. My hope is that when YOU see this petition — and see respected leaders attached to it — YOU pause and reconsider why, at the collegiate championship level, women are still racing meaningfully shorter distances than men.
We are marathon runners who have trained, raced, and completed a challenging distance event and we are calling on the NCAA to adopt equal race distances in men's and women's collegiate cross country running. We believe in Equality in Sport.
By finishing a marathon, we have demonstrated something simple and undeniable: men and women are equally capable of completing the same endurance event.
Yet in NCAA cross country running, unequal race distances persist. At the NCAA Championships women race 6 kilometers, while men race longer distances—10 kilometers in Divisions I and II and 8 kilometers in Division III. This unequal structure, which has been in place since 1981, reinforces outdated assumptions about who is capable of endurance and undermines principles of fairness and equal opportunity in collegiate sport.
Endurance athletes and sports physiologists have proven what is possible: Men and women train the same, race the same distances, and excel at the highest levels of competition. Equal distance is not experimental—it is proven. In World Cross Country, there is a 10k event for both men and women. In Ironman triathlon, men and women both race 140.6 miles. In marathons, as you know, every participant runs 26.2 miles. To have women run less than men at the collegiate level is outdated, sexist and discriminatory.
As marathon runners, we call on the NCAA to:
Adopt equal race distances for all athletes in NCAA cross country. 8km for men and women in Divisions I, II and III.
Align collegiate competition with principles of equality, fairness, and respect
Send a clear message to young athletes that opportunity and distance in sport is not limited for women.
Completing an endurance event is a test of preparation, resilience, and determination. The race distance--and the opportunity to race--must not change based on which sex is on the starting line.
We demand the NCAA to take this necessary and overdue step to equalize race distances for Cross Country Running.
Signed,
Marathon Runners in Support of Equal NCAA Distance
Kathrine Switzer - First woman to officially run the Boston Marathon, 1974 NYC women's marathon winner.
Kara Goucher- 3x NCAA Champion, 2x Olympian, World Champ silver medalist
Kasie Enman- World Mountain Running Champion 2011, two-time US Marathon Trials qualifier.
Molly Peters- #EqualDistance Founder. Head Cross Country and Track Coach at St. Michael’s College.
Other Ways YOU Can Help?
Other Ways YOU Can Help?
📣 Media & Outreach:
Molly is available for interviews, podcasts, and presentations. Have connections? Share their contact info.
💰 Sponsorship:
Know a brand, organization, or influencer who supports equality in sport? We'd love to connect.
🏃♀️ Host Equal Distance Races:
Are you a coach interested in hosting a women’s 8K or 10K race this fall? Let us know—we're working with sponsors to offer great prizes.
📢 Spread the Word:
Talk to athletes, coaches, and anyone in the running or college community.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue the push for equal race distances in NCAA cross country. It’s time to give all athletes the same opportunity to compete—and to thrive.
It’s beyond ridiculous that men & women don’t compete at the same distances in collegiate sports.
It’s beyond ridiculous that men & women don’t compete at the same distances in collegiate sports.
— Neal Henderson, Olympic Coach 2012 (London) & 2016 (Rio de Janeiro)
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