Over the last several years, the topic of transgender athletes in sports has sparked heated debates on and off the internet, among race organizers and even within international athletic organizations like the Union Cycliste Internationaleand World Athletics.
The topic has been a hot issue for those who are involved and not involved in sports in large part because of recent coverage of transgender women wanting to have a space in sports by competing against other women.
Since transgender women are assigned as male at birth, many organizations have banned transgender women from competing against other female athletes because of the advantages they may have over other competitors.
Anyone who has followed Breck Epic over the last few years likely already knows the race has taken a firm stance on the matter of transgender women in its six-day stage race, with the race implementing an inclusion policy that differs from other popular races.
Although this policy has been parsed out over the last several years on social media and on the Breck Epic website, race founder Mike McCormack rehashed the race’s stance on the matter before this year’s race.
In a lengthy, thorough statement to Breck Epic’s social media followers, McCormack explained Breck Epic’s policy on transgender athletes in its race and gave the race’s reasoning for taking a different stance from many other races on the matter.
The trans issue is complicated. Layered. Lots of well-reasoned, yet diametrically opposed perspectives that don't meet neatly in the middle. It seems like every "solution" leaves someone out. There seems to be no middle ground. No Venn overlap.
— Breck Epic (@BreckEpic) July 14, 2023
McCormack said he was moved to reiterate his and the race’s stance because he feels like the world is currently in a moment in time where outrage is the most common response to polarizing topics or issues. Recognizing the topic as a polarizing one, McCormack wanted to take the chance to speak up and support a community that has recently — and historically — been marginalized in sports.
“Suicide rates are through the roof,” McCormack said. “To treat them as humans without respect to gender. It is a compassionate response.”
McCormack recognizes that the race’s stance and decision may prove to be harmful to the business of the race, but he says that those factors did not play a role in his and the race’s decision to publish a firm statement on the matter.
The Breck Epic inclusion policy is something that took McCormack close to two years to dwell on before publishing. The race has always been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community — and has included a nonbinary competition category since 2021 — but McCormack felt like it was time to release a statement that was less combative and truly supportive of transgender athletes who want to compete in a six-stage mountain bike race through the Rocky Mountains.
With no proof or biological passport needed to enter a race division, McCormack is hopeful that transgender men and women can compete in the Breck Epic without fear of judgment or the feeling like they are being “othered” into the nonbinary division.
“(The nonbinary race category) has the potential to out people who don’t want to be outed,” McCormack said. “In some cases, trans women racing in nonbinary race categories are identified as trans and they have been subjected to death threats. It compromises their safety. That is the point I couldn’t get past. We did not want to be complicit in someone being threatened.”
McCormack still wants to offer a space for those who are more comfortable racing in the nonbinary race and will continue to offer the race category at the opt-in only level.
As the internet goes, the reception of the statement on social media has been mixed. Ranging between comments of support to skepticism and criticism.
Although there have been a few hateful comments in the Breck Epic’s direct message boxes, McCormack said the reaction of the public has mostly been supportive and accepting. Thus far, McCormack has only had to block one individual for comments that were hateful and not productive to the conversations taking place between members of the community.
“It is really important for people to share their perspective,” McCormack said. “I have blocked one person who is a historical troll about everything, but everyone else has had a chance to share their piece.”
McCormack says he may not see eye to eye with everyone’s perspective on the matter, but says the whole experience is an opportunity to sympathize with other views that fail to align neatly with his.
Ultimately, McCormack is hopeful that people will realize that although transgender athletes in sports — specifically transgender women competing in women’s race fields — is a polarizing topic, everyone is really the same at heart.
“We are way more alike than different at the end of the day,” McCormack said. “We all still love puppies, we hate people who drive slowly in the left lane. There are strong things that unite us. We may disagree here, but it is not the end of the world to disagree with someone. You can still like them and most of the things about them.”
McCormack is not necessarily worried about growth after the race’s inclusion statement. He says he couldn’t care less if the statement increases participation or reduces it. Rather he says he’s focused on doing what he feels is the most right thing for the transgender community.
“I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and I want my children to be proud of me,” McCormack said. “Thirty years down the road, I want to know I did the right thing when the right thing was maybe not the best business decision.”
With the 15th Breck Epic just weeks away, McCormack says he could not be more pumped for the rigorous stages, the deep race fields and the community support throughout the race week.
“It is a showcase of our community and the trail network,” McCormack said. “The women’s field is huge compared to years past. There is going to be some real racing going on in both pro fields, but the women’s field is deep. That is so validating. It is neat to see that we are going to have a real tour feel with people fighting for the lead.”
Outside of the action on the trails that rise high above the town of Breckenridge, McCormack is also looking forward to the inaugural Women’s Cycling Summit,which will continue to foster women who want to get into mountain biking.
“There are four days of free programming for women with men being invited also to everything but the group ride,” McCormack said. “It is great. It is a way to get people who may be a little bit nervous or struggling with the challenges of a sport that is gear intensive to say yes. Turning intention into action.”
For a full schedule of 2023 Breck Epic stages and events, visit BreckEpic.com.