The Runners Changing Course on Uniform Expectations

Slowly, athletes are beginning to adopt uniforms oriented around comfort instead of expectations. The professional runner Elly Henes saw this in her time at North Carolina State. During her freshman year, all 22 team members ran in buns; by her senior year, several women had opted for spandex or shorts.

And by following in Joyner’s footsteps, many are finding new athletic highs.

In February, Marquis Dendy, a professional runner and long-jump star, claimed a World Indoor Tour victory wearing a bucket hat and a balaclava.

That same month, Nikki Hiltz, a trans athlete who competes in women’s races, won the 2023 U.S.A.T.F. Indoor 1500 meter title in split shorts and a loose jersey.

Before racing in the Javelina Jundred 100-mile race, Ryan Montgomery, a professional trail runner who is queer and who said he has often expressed his femininity aesthetically, took a pair of scissors to his jersey. “When I wear something that most reflects me, I feel empowered to run my best,” he said.

Donning a flowing crop top, Montgomery finished second.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/08/sports/olympics/running-uniforms-evolution.html